Never underestimate the value of a small gesture.
That was the comment of a UK port chaplain after he responded to an unusual, but not surprising, request from a visiting ship’s captain. The captain had told the priest: “What my crew would really like is to walk on green grass. All they get to walk on is steel.” So the priest took them to a churchyard, where they all walked barefoot for an hour.
This story of practical mercy is one example of the myriad of ways the Apostleship of the Sea helps seafarers worldwide, including at centres here in New Zealand.
Shipping is a huge industry around the world.
According to a Sea Sunday presentation by the Apostleship of the Sea (UK), there are an estimated 100,000 ships at sea worldwide, with some 1.5 million seafarers.
If the containers of one company, Maersk, were lined up, they would stretch some 18,000 km, more than half way around the Earth.
A highly competitive industry leads to a lot of pressure to minimise costs and has safety and pressure of work consequences for seafarers.
The Maritime Labour Convention 2006 is one vehicle for protecting the rights of seafarers, but vigilance to ensure ongoing compliance is essential.
The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) has recently commissioned an in-depth study into the implementation and enforcement of the convention, after reports of numerous breaches.
The modern seafarer has to be a hardy, resilient type in order to survive. Private space is very limited on most ships. Seafarers work in an industrial environment, pervaded by the vibration of massive engines. There is no opportunity to escape your environment.
Pressure is on to load and unload vessels as quickly as possible to reduce port charges, so opportunities for shore leave can be limited. Shore leave is typically measured in hours rather than in days. Surveys by seafarer welfare organisations have borne out what I have observed from the seafarers I have encountered as a port chaplain – that a major desire is communication with family back home. Continue reading
Source & Image:
- Article by Michael Otto, AoS Chaplain in Auckland, in Marist Messenger