You Cannot Value Life as Life Has No Value - Essay Example

You cannot value life as life has no value Life is priceless but many times we fail to appreciate this fact and treat life as worthless and are shockingly negligent about it. This cannot be stressed enough especially in the case of seafarers whose lives are considered not worth the economic investment required to make the occupation safe and danger-free as far as possible. Even though, the job of a seafarer can pay astoundingly well at times, it is an understated fact that their lives are perpetually at risk. Not only does the job require immense physical capability but also a strong mental make-up as they have to stay away from family and friends for prolonged periods. The shipping industry requires workers who can work strenuously for long hours without breaks and very often their working conditions are hazardous, to say the least. Sea workers have to work overtime for long periods for the economic benefits of the shipping company and the long hours ultimately take a toll on their health. Injuries as well as extreme fatigue are usual occurrences in a seafarer’s life. Illnesses like sea-sickness and scurvy are common, mainly due to lack of vitamin C in the diet. A study shows that the mortality rates of female seafarers are more than that of their male counterparts. This is mainly due to fatal accidents, lung cancer and other deadly diseases which are the outcome of excessive intake of tobacco and improper diets. It is a given fact that human beings need adequate rest periods between work and lack of sleep can impair the normal functioning of any individual. According to the National Sleep Foundation, every adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep at night to feel refreshed and to function properly. But, seafarers are subjected to long hours of non-stop work and fatigue and poor functioning are constant companions. (“Sleep Aid Tips”, n.d.) The Jones Act in the context of safeguarding seafarers’ lives is significant. Many sailors suffer from mental stress on a voyage because they are far away from their family and as a result a huge opportunity cost has to be incurred at that time. Sailors face a peculiar economic situation. Most of them come from an economically weak environment and they have to put up with long, almost inhuman hours of work in return for some fast money. For this, if they have to neglect their health, they have to compromise since they do not have a choice. It has to be remembered that sailors unlike land employees are not treated as formal sector employees since they are required to sign-off after every voyage and stay at home without pay for a few months. So, in a way they can be classified as part-timers. Though financial security is the essence for any working individual, human life is too uncertain to depend only on the money factor. Human beings need other benefits like companionship, recreation etc. apart from money which can take care of only certain needs. The emotional security and companionship which every human being needs is deprived to the seafarers for long periods of time while they are on a voyage on the seas. Even physical danger is omnipresent for these sailors since while on the seas they have no concrete place to run to (unlike landlubbers) if they are caught up in violent storms or any other danger. The small safety boats provided for precisely these situations are invariably never enough for all. One of the most famous examples of the destruction of property and lives aboard a ship is the Titanic disaster in 1912 where around 1500 people were dead or missing and only 700 could be rescued. (Karendelac, 2007)The Titanic was considered to be an extremely sturdy and indestructible ship but it smashed into icebergs and was engulfed in fires and storms. Other examples of such disasters on the seas include the shipwreck of the Blendenhall in 1820 in the South Atlantic Ocean, the ship Juno in 1795 in the Indian Ocean, the Amphetrite in 1833 and the loss of the ship Logan due to fire in 1832. (Ellms, 1836, 12) Seafarers include not only those with a passion for the high seas but also the crew who are there to provide logistic support and who work for a minimal salary. Surprisingly, the Navy which also forms the component of seafarers, is paid a menial salary, the question of which had arisen in the Indian Parliament. The salary structure of able seamen, as per the ILO Joint Maritime Commission sub-committee has been fixed at US $465 per month. (ILO, 2003) Although the ILO has specified the pay structure and allowances, there is still room for a lot of discrepancies about the actual pay made to the sailors. The employers are also arguing about the specified pay structure along with other benefits which are to be given to the sailors in the light of a not-so-good trade environment. So, the compensation package of the sailors has to be looked into. The Seacare Authority which is a Commonwealth statutory authority adopted a three year strategic plan for implementation of its directives to ensure the claims of the seamen. Their recommendations included reducing Seacare scheme of insurance premium, cutting down medical insurance costs but providing a beneficial payment structure to the seamen along with better management practices for claims. The Seacare Authority also devised some plans to minimize occupational health hazards and promote safety. These are prevention of injury and diseases, followed by a transparent accountability of the regulatory bodies in the maritime industry. The Authority also recommended a total report of employee numbers, the hours worked by each seafarer, furnishing of data in regard to claims, data on OHS, employer insurance etc. (Australian Government, 2008) Another overlooked but ever-present threat to seamen’s safety is the attack by pirates on the high seas. The pirates demand ransom by capturing the crew and in the process, many crew members may lose their lives. Their deaths mean immense suffering for the families as those dead may have been the sole earning members of their family. The most recent example in such a case can be given of the Somalian pirates being paid ransom to save the lives of the crew members. (Bhatia, 2008)  As far as the hazard of pirates is concerned, in the East Coast of Africa and the Gulf of Aden, the Asian ship owner’s association and the political establishment had appealed to the international community to combat the problem. Hong Kong ship owners have stepped up their efforts to solve this burning issue.The Japanese Prime Minister also assured help to combat piracy. A special scheme for life-long economic benefits for those who have lost functional abilities due to permanent, grave bodily injuries resulting in their inability to work again, has been launched. There is also another scheme for providing permanent treatment and benefits to seamen. In case of permanent injuries, no medical enquiries are to take place. Thus, the disability is classified right in the beginning itself and the classification may be partial disability, permanent disability in the shipping job, permanent disability in any other job or fully invalid. The problems of the seafarers in relation to economics are long standing ones and a proper and efficient policy to combat this problem is the need of the hour. The seafarers suffer both physically as well as economically. The job may seem glamorous and adventurous but it is not without its share of pain. The arduous working hours and conditions and the occupational hazards which they face on the high seas along with their prolonged absence from their families should be taken into consideration and the regulatory bodies should enact proper laws for safeguarding the interests of the seamen. Their pay structure should be modified and a higher risk allowance should be given to them. A generous insurance package will go a long way in alleviating their fears of their family being left destitute in case of the seamen being left gravely injured or becoming invalids and unable to work for a livelihood. They should also be taught to take on the pirates along with proper training to deal with natural calamities and other hazards on the high seas. A campaign should be launched to make the seamen aware of the inherent and potential dangers of this job to their lives and ways to combat these obstacles. As far as passive safety is concerned, the regulatory bodies should make the seamen aware of hazards like fire, natural calamity or other hazards at the point of departure itself. The seamen should be given adequate protection while navigating the waters which are infested with pirates. Unfortunately, the government had done little on this aspect in the past and had not taken prompt action to ensure the safety of the seamen leading to anxiety among the seafarers. However, in recent years, governments of different countries have taken measures to improve the security of the seamen along with efforts to better their overall lives. These measures include introducing structured pay packets to be given by cruise owners to the workers and improved working conditions. These measures though welcome, however, are not sufficient to ensure the well-being of the seafarers. Simply providing economic benefits to the seamen can take care of things up to a certain point but much more needs to be done for them. But, in the end, the fact remains, that whatever compensation is paid to them in terms of monetary benefits or otherwise can never be enough to ensure their lives in the high-risk job of seafaring. The lives of the seamen have always been at risk and considered disposable and will remain so.  References 1. Australian Government (2008), Seafarer’s Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Authority, available at: http://www.seacare.gov.au/ (accessed on January 25, 2008) 2. Bhatia, S. (2008) “Somalian pirates threat to Indian vessels”, available at: http://www.mid-day.com/news/2008/oct/261008-ship-hijacking-somalian-pirates-mumbai-naval-escorts-major-threats.htm (accessed on January 25, 2009) 3. Ellms, C. 1836. Shipwrecks and Disasters at Sea, S.N. Dickinson, London: Harvard University Press 4. ILO (2003) Joint Maritime Commission, Subcommittee of the Joint Maritime Commission 5. Joint Working Group on Wages of Seafarers, Geneva, available at: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/sector/techmeet/sjmc03/sjmc-r.pdf (accessed on January 25, 2009) 6. Karendelac. 2007, RMS Titanic, Ship of Dreams, available at: http://www.squidoo.com/harland-and-wolffs-titanic (accessed on January 25, 2009) 7. “Sleep Aid Tips” ,n.d. available at: http://www.personal-enterprise-self-help-resources.com/support-files/sleep-book-free.pdf (accessed on January 25, 2009) 8. The Malaysian Insider (2009) Vigilance at Sea, available at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/sports/index.php/malaysia/9992-vigilance-at-sea (accessed on January 25, 2009) Read More