Object Magna Carta for seafarers: Shipowners to stop accepting apprentices

CEBU, Philippines —  The Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association (PCSA) warned to stop accommodating maritime apprenticeship from universities, if and when the Magna Carta for Filipino seafarers or the Senate Bill No. 2369 will be passed into law.

PCSA chairman Lucio E. Lim Jr., made this bold statement following some lawmakers’ effort to push the passage of the bill, which seeks to uphold the privilege of Filipino seafarers namely, the right to just terms and conditions of work; right to self-organization, to engage in collective bargaining, and to participate in democratic exercises; right to consultation; right to educational advancement and training at a reasonable cost.

However, Lim, who owns Lite Shipping Corporation and is leading 15 local shipowners operating over 700 ships, argued that the bill could cripple the local shipping business, as it would be more expensive for them to operate and paying the apprentice crews, which is stipulated in the bill.

“We are objecting the probable passage of the Magna Carta,” said Lim reiterating that passing of this bill into law would mean a collapse of the maritime manning industry and export of maritime crew abroad.

The bill, which is now up for debate in the plenary, lists the various rights of Filipino seafarers, which include the right to just terms and conditions of work; right to self-organization, engage in collective bargaining, and participate in democratic exercises; right to educational advancement and training at a reasonable cost; right against discrimination and to be protected against all forms of harassment and bullying, among others.

Filipino seafarers will also be provided with various perks and minimum standards of employment, including compulsory benefits like decent accommodation, sanitation, recreation and food facilities.

Filipino seafarers will also be provided with various perks and minimum standards of employment, including compulsory benefits like decent accommodation, sanitation, recreation and food facilities.

Furthermore, the Magna Carta aims to translate the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) 2006 into a Philippine law, thereby transforming it into a national legislation.

According to Lim, these accommodation rules may be affordable for big ships and foreign vessels, but not for small and medium shipowners, whose inter-island routes are short distances with smaller profit margins.

Local shipping operators have been accommodating apprentice crews as part of the course requirements of maritime engineering students from universities around the country. Lim stressed that requiring local shipowners to pay maritime interns, among other added operational costs are just too much for the already struggle shipping industry.

 He further argued that the Magna Carta may be applicable for foreign shipping operations, but “definitely not necessary and not doable for domestic implementation. It could hurt the industry even more.”

On-the-job- training for maritime engineers or maritime students usually take one year. Every year, the local shipping sector particularly those plying the Visayas and Mindanao routes host roughly 5,000 student-apprentice (including accommodations granted by non PCSA members).

PCSA formalized its opposition of the Magna Carta, through a position paper dated August 22, 2021 addressed to Senator Emmanuel Joel Jose Villanueva, head for committee on labor, employment and human resources.