Chinese company operating in breach of Nat’l and Int’l laws

Jun 27, 2016 Letters

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Dear Editor;
The Peoples United and General Workers Union continue to receive numerous complaint that vessel named “Mv yuan heng freighter,” the said vessel/ship is owned by Company name Zhonghao Ship yard / RonganInc. Address 139 Lindley Avenue, Nandy Park, EBD. This is a logging company that since  April 2014 has been cutting and transporting logs in the Berbice River from Kwakwani area to Georgetown and selling the logs locally and oversees.
These complains received are as follows:
(a) The Vessel comprises a total of six (6) crew members ,one (1) Guyanese Captain and five Chinese expatriate-but based on information receive it should have a total of 10 crew members
(b) The Captain is the only English speaking person on board the Vessel.
(c) The only way the Captain can and (in an inaccurate manner) normally communicate with the rest of the crew is by sign language.
(d) The Captain does not know or have a list /document(s) with the names or designation of his crew members on board the vessel.
(e) None of the crew members onboard the vessel has or displays a work identification card
(f) The Captain is the only authorized person on board the vessel that is known to sail and maneuver the vessel within the Berbice River.
(g) None of the Chinese crew members can safely relieve the Captain from the bridge (steering wheel) so he can go to sleep after working those long hours, often times he is forced to (unsafely) give the wheel to other crew members so he can go to the wash room etc.
(h) Whenever the vessel depart from Kwakwani, it arrived in Georgetown between two (2) to three (3) days which means over 30 hours the captain is  on the steering wheel
(i) The servicing of safety equipment on board the vessel is not being carried out as required by local and international health and safety laws.
(j) The vessel needs modification to reach national and international requirement/standards since the boat only have one toilet and one bathroom and the beds are not properly built etc.
(k) Inadequate food items are being supplied to the vessel and the meals are being prepared by a Chinese cook who prepares the meals in a Chinese traditional manner. (meals are only enjoyed by the other Chinese crew members).
(l) Here is the Union’s position
(1) Guyana is mainly an English speaking country as such the crew members onboard any ocean going vessel that are operating in or entering Guyana must know to speak English since communication with the other traffics in the river or sea must be done in English. Further if the captain is the only person on the vessel that speaks English and he becomes sick which one of the other crew member will deal with his matter? Or if something happens to one of the crew member how would the captain know or understand what transpiring with them? And also the captain is the master/first in command for the vessel and he is answerable and fully responsible for the life of all his crew members on board. He has to give instruction to his crew members in cases of any type of emergency and to instruct them to carry out their normal day to day duties etc.
(2) Base on international policies and laws, all ocean going vessel/captain must have onboard at all times a written document that stipulates the classifications/destination and names of its crew members since if a Captain does not have the mentioned document how can he conduct his functions among his crew members for e.g. address matter, conducting health and safety drills, give instruction and give mandates to crew members base on their job classification and relating information to port/maritime authorizes etc.
(3) It is totally unsafe and unlawful for a captain to work/operate a vessel over six (6) consecutive hours since International Maritime Organization (IMO) /International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions/laws provide for equal time work; as well as time off (6 consecutive hours).
(4) ILO/IMO laws provide for all safety devices/equipment’s on board a vessel to be check regularly, service and replace when necessary.
(5) All ocean going vessel operating are required to have captain(s), mate(s)and full crew members at all time working on board since the mate is second in command to the captain and the work time is to rotate equally between the captain and the mate and when the captain go on off duty another captain relief him or if the mate is qualified he is be relief by another mate and he is relief the captain and further the vessel crew must made up of sailors , cook and engineers
Functions and authority of Maritime officers /Port Authorities
(1) When a vessel has inadequate food supplies on board the Guyana Maritime officials are empowered to sanction the vessel from sailing until adequate food items are on board the vessel
(2) When a vessel does not have it full required crew members on board the Maritime officials are empowered to sanction and stop the vessel from sailing until each of its registered or required crew members are on board
(3) When safety equipment and devices are not working the Maritime officials are empowered to sanction the vessel from sailing until all safety equipment and devices are fixed and in order.
(4) The Maritime authority, port authorities, custom officers and coast guard are empowered to search all vessels operating and entering into the country looking for smuggled goods or possession of drugs, human trafficking, all form of money laundering, illegal firearms, illegal entry of humans and generally any activates on board the vessel etc. and to make sure all books, registration, documents, health and safety maritime policies and general laws are being followed. The Union proposes that maritime authorities need to urgently dispatch a team to visit the vessel and conduct a full investigation and review the general conditions and take all necessary steps to correct all unlawful deficiencies.
Micha Williams,
People United and General Workers’ Union

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