Crew shortages are driving up seafarer wages, according to Danica Crewing Specialist’s CEO Henrik Jensen who urges ship operators to be quick to offer jobs to seafarers who apply with them or risk losing out to a higher bidder.
The Ukrainian conflict, sanctions against Russia, and new Covid-19 outbreaks in the Far East are all impacting global crewing levels. Mr Jensen warns:
On top of the fall-out from the Ukrainian situation, we have Russian seafarers subject to visa restrictions and travel limitations, and new coronavirus outbreaks in China which have halted many Chinese crews from joining ships. Together, all this is reducing the global availability of crews and causing a recruitment and manning crisis without precedence
Favourable charter markets for many vessel types have also encouraged some owners to be more generous in the hunt for the best crews, says Mr Jensen, and this is a contributing factor in current wage increases. At present, seafarers who are ready to return to sea are often in the fortunate position of having multiple job offers to choose from.
Mr Jensen also warns that the volatile job market is leading to a rise in fake CVs:
This shortage of crew encourages some applicants to ‘upgrade’ their CV by claiming fake sea service in a higher rank – and even print fake sea records and stamps in their seaman’s book, hoping they can cheat a desperate employer into accepting them without proper checks in order to just get a vacancy covered
In fact, there is no one nationality where this behaviour is particularly a risk.
Mr Jensen said: “When the war started in February about 60-70% of the Ukrainian seafarers were already onboard. Some of these seafarers asked to be signed-off to return home to support their families or to join the Ukrainian military forces. However, most of the crews onboard requested to extend their tenure.
Last year, the Seafarer Workforce Report from BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping warned that the industry must significantly increase training and recruitment levels, in order to avoid a serious shortage in the total supply of officers by 2026.
Given the growing demand for STCW certified officers, the report predicted that there will be a need for an additional 89,510 officers by 2026 to operate the world merchant fleet.
Give chance to Kenyan seafarers
I think the report is right the quality seafarers is decreasing due to current crisis I’m my self an engine cadet from Pakistan now seamens are less willing to go to sea , only who are more needy are available like me especially from asian region world is getting seafarers still in these current crisis
Deploy all indian seafarer
Why company taking 4th officer then, if shortage??