The job of a sailor is to take good loaded in a ship and move it from one country to another. This is a simple definition. There are more to it on lines that the job they do make a huge difference to the economy of the country that they are selling for. This is so as a major part of today’s trade is still done on shipping lines. Commodities like fuel and other minerals are still transported by sea.
The sailors sell for a given number of months at a stretch. They need to get into a contact that clearly states that they are legally obliged to do these jobs and they will be selling as per the contract. During this time of contract they cannot ask for leaves. For the shipping company this is important to plan their man power. However, considering the fact that it is humanly very difficult to stay away from near and dear ones for such long span of time we would like to discuss should sailors be getting shorter contracts? Now we will try to discuss this issue in details.
This is how the life of a sailor is. For months they are away from family and friends. Their marriage and family life take a big hit because of their professional commitments. It’s true that are compensated with huge pay and lavish life style. However, mental peace and happiness must be equally important for a normal human being to survive. I am sure that all humans have their right to a normal family life. Considering this we must think of making the contracts shorter and try to give them more time with their family. This will ensure that they are happy and are able to manage the work life balance. So what do you feel about should sailors be getting shorter contracts?
There was a time in the past when the shipping lines were not regulated as a result the sellers used to live in very unhealthy conditions. IMO has taken some strong steps to ensure that strict guidelines are followed across the world for all shipping lines. They have also set quite a few standards for the humans involved in shipping activity. This has definitely improved the living standard on the ships. However, one strong proposition that all are working on is should sailors be getting shorter contracts.
This discussion is going on and many top level navy officers and shipping organizations are discussing this quite seriously. We all know that the biggest disadvantage that shipping job has is the fact that the sailors and officers are compelled to spend months away from family. If this constraint is removed by reducing the contract periods then perhaps more people will show interest in this profession.
This is all that we could think of to discuss on the topic of should sailors be getting shorter contracts.
The debate in on-going and will perhaps go on for a long time. Nevertheless, the human element in shipping must be appreciated and we should seriously think of making the lives of the sailors better. What do you say?