The Hindu Business Line : Domestic ships can hire foreign officers

THE stage is set for domestic shipowners to hire foreign officers on board Indian flag vessels with the Shipping Ministry saying that the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, does not prohibit such a step.

"There is no clear provision in the M S Act, which says that hiring of foreign officers on board Indian flag vessels is prohibited. The Act does not prohibit this in specific terms, but at the same time there is no provision in the Act either on hiring foreign officers," a Ministry official stated.

The Director General of Shipping, the statutory maritime authority, will now have to decide whether Indian shipowners should be granted blanket permission to hire foreign officers or whether it should be done on a case-to-case basis, he said. Officers employed on board ships include masters (captains), mates and chief engineers.

The issue brings into focus the treatment of foreign nationals by Indian immigration when they sail on board Indian ships since Continuous Discharge Certificates (CDC) are issued only to Indian nationals.

"This is a technical problem which can be sorted out by issuing an order so that all concerned are clear on the issue. More so, the immigration authorities in the ports will know whether it is prohibited or provided," the official remarked.

Faced with an acute shortage of officers in the wake of a massive vessel-buying spree given the booming freight market, domestic shipowners, mostly the big names, had made out a case before the Director-General of Shipping for hiring foreign officers on board Indian flag ships. "We are finding it extremely difficult to source quality officers as more and more sophisticated ships join the fleet. Taking advantage of the M S Act provisions, Indian officers hold the domestic shipowners to ransom during wage negotiations by adopting a `take-it-or-leave-it' stand," a domestic shipowner told Business Line.

According to an official in the Director General of Shipping, domestic shipowners should give first preference to Indian seafarers for employment on board Indian flag ships. "At the same time, Indian flag vessels cannot be idling for want of Indian seafarers," he noted.

While ratings are in over-supply, the dearth of crew is at the top rung in the level of officers manning the ships. "This is a pretty acute situation which requires to be answered," the Ministry official said.

One of the options being discussed is to allow Indian owners to hire foreign officers on a `case-to-case' basis. Whenever, domestic owners require foreign officers, they can seek approval from the Director General of Shipping. "This will be done on a `case-to-case' basis only when we are completely satisfied that no Indian officers are available to man the ships and it has to remain idle," the DG Shipping official stated. The move is expected to face stiff opposition from the officers unions.

"We have protested before the Director General against this move," says Mr S.S. Khan, General Secretary, Maritime Union of India, the only union representing merchant navy officers. "Is there really a shortage of officers as projected by the domestic owners? Where is the mechanism which tells us there is an acute shortage? Why are Indian officers working on foreign flag ships not interested in returning to serve on board Indian flag ships? You pay them the same salary and you'll get them," Mr Khan stated.

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