MM&P President Don Marcus: “Apart from humanitarian concerns, the global supply chain is at risk.”
The International Organization of Masters, Mates & &Pilots (MM&P) states that staffs of 5 U.S.-flag containerships are amongst the countless seafarers basically being imprisoned aboard their vessels due to the failure in the staff adjustment procedure brought on by COVID-19.
The staffs of the 5 ships– running in the Mediterranean, the Arabian Sea as well as the Persian Gulf, as well as all individuals in the Maritime Security Program– have actually been functioning considering that December 2019 without alleviations.
The vessels run a 24/7 procedure providing items that assist supply U.S bases overseas along with business as well as altruistic freight all over the world.
MM&P as well as the various other American maritime unions have actually looked for to repatriate their participants using significant ports– consisting of United States marine bases in Turkey, Cyprus, Malta, Israel, Egypt, Kuwait, Dubai as well as Oman– yet without success.
“These professional mariners are true frontline workers and now is the time to lend a hand to get them home,” MM&P Atlantic Ports Vice President Tom Larkin informed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a May 21 letter.
“Apart from humanitarian concerns, the global supply chain is at risk,” MM&P President Don Marcus composed leaders of the House Transportation as well as Infrastructure Committee.
He claimed the scenario is especially challenging to understand due to the fact that U.S.-citizen seller seafarers are America’s 4th arm of protection.
“They are supplying our troops overseas and delivering government cargoes of all sorts, including essential foreign aid to many of the same countries that are preventing their repatriation,” he composed.
“At the most pragmatic level, how can it be that to date there has been no effective U.S. government intervention to prevent a critical break in the logistical supply chain of our military?”
Marcus has actually transferred to Congress a letter composed by the International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations, of which MM&P is a participant, describing the size of the worldwide dilemma as well as contacting federal governments to promptly carry out the IMO’s staff adjustment methods.
“Isolation and excessive lengths of service aboard ship have created grave dangers of fatigue and psychological stress, increasing the likelihood of marine accidents, creating mental health risks, including deep depression and, in extreme cases, suicide,” Marcus composed. “Seafarers are being abandoned.”
“We seek your assistance with the State Department and/or the Department of Defense to ensure that U.S. mariners can be relieved in Middle Eastern ports and, for the greater global crisis, we seek the assistance of the U.S. government to see that foreign seafarers can be similarly relieved and repatriated from U.S. ports,” Marcus composed leaders of theHouse Committee “Humanity and the global supply chain demand no less.”
