Canadian Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra: “Through arrangements like this one, we are strengthening our workforce today and into the future with good-paying jobs for certified seafarers.”
Faced with a scarcity of Canadian seafarers, on June 25 Canada signed agreements with Georgia, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom to permit their licensed seafarers to work onboard Canadian vessels. This expands the variety of nations whose seafarers may be so handled below Canada’s Reciprocal Arrangement, which beforehand had included solely Australia, France, Norway, and Ukraine.
The enlargement of this system was introduced by Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra
According to Transport Canada, the Reciprocal Arrangement Program, launched in 2019, permits extremely certified staff to rapidly achieve employment within the Canadian marine sector. This signifies that as soon as a overseas seafarer meets the necessities for work, Canadian corporations can sponsor them to fill essential gaps of their workforce.
Seafarers with a legitimate International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers certificates issued by the relevant nations can now apply for a Canadian endorsement.
A overseas seafarer should meet the necessities imposed by Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada to work in Canada, together with acquiring a legitimate work allow.
“Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast rely on the dedication of seafarers to get goods and ships where they need to go,” stated Minister of Transport Alghabra. “On behalf of our Government, I want to thank all seafarers for their commitment. Through arrangements like this one, we are strengthening our workforce today and into the future with good-paying jobs for certified seafarers.”
The transfer is unlikely to sit down properly with Canadian mariners.
As lately as May, the Canadian Merchant Service Guild up to date its members on the Canadian seafarer scarcity, noting that, “despite the number of graduates coming out of Canadian marine schools, the number of seafarers retiring each year from the Canadian marine industry exceeds the number of new entrants. As a result, our industry is facing a shortage of personnel; particularly those holding high levels of certificates of competency, such as the qualifications of Master Mariner, Master Near Coastal, as well as First-class and Second-class Engineers. The shortage is now increasing and spreading to other certificates of competency. A recent federal government study indicates that over half of the remaining Canadian maritime workforce will retire over the next few years. This includes a further 52% of current engineering officers and 47% of deck officers.”
The replace spells out the implications of this development and discusses the choices for addressing it.
Here’s what it says on using overseas seafarers:
“For a variety of years the Guild has known as for a program to evaluate the {qualifications} of recent Canadians (everlasting residents or residents) who beforehand labored as seafarers in different nations, however after arriving in Canada have solely been employed in occupations outdoors of our marine trade. This initiative has confirmed indicators of success. Hundreds of recent Canadians have utilized to Transport Canada to have their overseas seafaring {qualifications} assessed, and have accomplished any gaps of their required coaching, and are actually working alongside different Guild members. These are Canadians holding Canadian Certificates of Competency.
“The federal authorities has additionally signed agreements with a variety of different nations to acknowledge sure overseas certificates of competency on board Canadian-flag vessels when certified Canadians usually are not out there. Various Guild members are extraordinarily disillusioned with this growth and usually are not happy to listen to that unions usually are not consulted relating to these agreements signed with overseas nations. The seafaring neighborhood throughout the nation, together with unions, are knowledgeable of preparations made with overseas nations by means of Ship Safety Bulletins; after the very fact.
“The place established by the National Board of the Guild relating to the popularity of overseas credentials aboard Canadian-flag vessels is that this can be a momentary measure, and whereas it’s removed from preferrred, it is going to allow Canadian-flag vessels to proceed working till a ample variety of certified Canadians develop into out there.
“The Guild might be rigorously monitoring this program to make sure that these overseas seafarers are solely authorised for employment on Canadian vessels if:
A) they meet the authorized necessities to work in Canada; and
B) there are not any certified Canadians out there to fill the place. That means all of the certified Canadians have to be already working, and the overseas seafarers will go to the underside of the seniority listing.
“In the event that a Canadian seafarer is not available for a vacant position on board a Canadian vessel, then instead of the vessel remaining tied up due to lack of crew, or instead of a foreign ship being granted a license to undertake the work, then a foreign officer may be authorized by Transport Canada to work on the Canadian ship if they demonstrate acceptable language proficiency, acceptable knowledge of local regulations such as the Canadian Modifications to the International Collision Regulations, and if they obtain a visa and a work permit and if Transport Canada issues to them an endorsement recognizing their foreign certificate of competency. Once again, unions are not consulted regarding the Canadian government signing such arrangements with foreign nations, or even prior to signing free-trade agreements, and we are informed afterwards. The Guild will recommend that eligible candidates from among these seafarers should apply to become Canadians (permanent residents or citizens), as most of our ancestors did at one time. That way they can become eligible to apply for a Canadian Certificate of Competency, and contribute in a meaningful way to Canadian society, with a vested interest in filling a valuable role in our marine industry.”
On the Reciprocal Arrangement, (and writing earlier than this week’s enlargement of it), the replace says:
“The Guild will continue to carefully monitor the impact on our workforce of the use of foreign nationals temporarily occupying positions on Canadian vessels. Many Guild members have devoted their lives to working in the Canadian seafaring industry. Without any recognition or appreciation, Guild members have made significant sacrifices to keep marine commerce operating without interruption throughout pandemics and other serious challenges. Guild members work to ensure safety on the waterways and have a strong vested interest in the environmental protection of Canada’s fragile marine ecosystems. The Guild will continue to engage with members and employers and regulators across the country to ensure that these jobs aboard Canadian vessels remain well-paid Canadian jobs, that go to Canadians first.”
