NT NETWORK
MARGAO
Representatives of the Union ministry of shipping on Thursday met seafarers on the issue of Indian Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC). It was highlighted that cruise ship employers were insisting on Indian CDC, while the government had not made significant changes to its rules.
At a meeting with the Goa Seamen Association of Indian (GSAI), attended by Additional Director General of Shipping Amitabh Kumar and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai in Margao, it came to light that many seafarers who had worked for over 10 to 20 years were doing so on Bahamas CDC.
The ministry had in 2017 changed the rules for grant of the certificate, doing away with the requirement of six months of training and retaining only the requirement of tenth pass.
Following the circular, employers (the ship companies) made it a requirement for Indian seafarers to submit Indian CDCs. Those who were on Bahamas CDC found it difficult to get Indian CDCs as many did not have the mandatory tenth standard certificate.
“The Government of India has not changed its rules; it is the change of the rules of the employers that is affecting them. In that case also we are willing to talk to the employers to find a solution. Those working on cruise lines were doing so on foreign CDCs and they are now being asked to get Indian CDC. They continued to have foreign CDCs but it seems that companies are now not accepting the foreign CDC,” said Kumar.
He added that earlier rules had the requirement of tenth pass as well as training to get an Indian CDC. “Now we have in fact simplified the process asking only for the tenth pass and five additional courses,” Kumar told seafarers from the GSAI.
GSAI member Dixon Vaz said that because of the new circular many local seafarers were at the risk of losing their jobs with some even being denied immigration pass because they did not have an Indian CDC.
“Many of us were sent back during immigration checks because we did not have Indian CDC. Merchant shippies were easily given but those on cruise liners were sent back. This has troubled many and some even had to cancel their weddings because of fear of no job,” he said.
Kumar said the ministry would first talk to the employers, clear any doubts and sort out the issue. “We don’t want them to lose their jobs but the issue is that there are a lot of seafarers who are at a risk of being exploited and we want to safeguard all of them. Indian CDC is in demand around the world as it has a lot of checks and has value and gives a premium,” said Kumar.
He also informed that there were 1,54,000 seafarers working on Indian and foreign flag vessels, of which 21,000 were on Indian flag vessels while 1,32,000 were on foreign ones. Recently it was stated that over 40,000 seafarers had become slaves while another 20,000 were working on ghost ships and were later rescued from places like Iraq and Somalia.