Chairman and Vice-Chairmen of INTERCARGO up for new terms
During INTERCARGO’s recent Annual General Meeting, members unanimously approved renewal of terms from 1st January 2021, inviting both the Chairman, Dimitris Fafalios of Fafalios Shipping S.A., and Vice Chairman, Mr Spyros Tarasis of Olympic Vision Maritime Co Inc, to renew their term of office, while also electing a new second Vice-Chairman of the Association. Consequently, INTERCARGO will shortly bid a fond farewell to incumbent Vice Chairman, Captain Jay K. Pillai of Pacific Basin Shipping (HK) Ltd, and in turn welcome, Captain Uttam Kumar Jaiswal from the same company. Captain Pillai has served for six years, having been appointed Vice Chairman on 1 January 2014.
2020-12-16T12:04:00+00:00
The IMO used UN Human Rights Day to highlight the plight of seafarers who are still stranded at sea. It has issued a strong call for their fundamental rights to be respected.
Photo credit: Pacific Basin Shipping
The
IMO estimates that as many as 400,000 seafarers are currently stuck aboard ships beyond the end of their original contracts and unable to be repatriated, due to Covid-related travel restrictions. Some have now been working at sea for over 18 months, well beyond the 11-month limit set out in
ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). A similar number remain stuck ashore, unable to work.
INTERCARGO calls for seafarers to receive COVID-19 vaccine as a priority
Following the worldwide news that vaccines for COVID-19 are now a reality, it is paramount that authorities give priority to seafarers in their vaccination programmes, says INTERCARGO, the organisation representing the world’s quality dry bulk shipowners.
“As key workers, seafarers should be included in the early stages of a nation’s vaccination programme,” says INTERCARGO Chairman Dimitris Fafalios.
“As a key element in the drive to reboot the world’s economy, seafarers should receive vaccinations quickly and efficiently. We welcome new initiatives from national authorities and industry bodies to facilitate this and urge that these new initiatives be brought forward and trialled as a matter of urgency, so that seafarers can once again travel safely between their home and their ships, and under take port operations without the fear of infection.”