Europe is learning - What about BC?

[Dane]

What did they learn here? Not to be tools?

[BrianWilliams]

Seafaring workers in international trade may be the hardest-used people in modern industry.

My sentiments are obvious in that opening statement, but I don't mean to pursue a long debate. You, Cascade, have a very deep knowledge of global shipping practices.

Still, I recommend William Langewiesch's "The Outlaw Sea" as a good read. In its four parts, the book documents the decline of seamanship, seaworthiness, the increase in piracy, and -in a long gripping section- the MV Estonia ferry tragedy.

Estonia alone may be the best argument for well-paid, well-trained, experienced crews on passenger ships.

European unions have often been bloody-minded, nonsensical political bodies; and I can't judge the Italian workers - but perhaps their lack of solidarity was because the union was too political.

On a broader scale, Langewiesche writes of a worldwide collapse in seafaring skills; at a time when cargo shipping is increasing.

Unions or not: the industry needs skilled mariners on deck as well as on the bridge. The current practice of less-than-minimum-wage work will end someday, maybe when insurers tire of paying claims to mismanaged ships.

PS: some folks may be tempted to compare Queen Of The North's loss to MV Estonia. It doesn't work. QooN was sailed incorrectly by trained, well-paid, experienced crew. Their failure is inexcusable -- but the reaction of all BCF workers on board at the crisis saved all lives but two.

MV Estonia was badly maintained, poorly managed: and at their crisis, confusion, inexperience and lack of training killed 90% of the passengers.

[Neil]

Maybe I'm hopelessly naive, but I still would prefer to wait for the official report before condemning the 'North's crew. Maybe I'm just reacting to Hahn's quick judgement.

The Langewiesche book is definately worthwhile, although I thought he might have condensed the Estonia sory a bit in order to include some more research on the piracy and shady vessel management/ownership issues.

Threatening organized working people with legal action when they consider a strike shows how WalMart is teaching their corporate brethren the ropes, on land and on the sea.

[BrianWilliams]

HornbyGuy:

I agree that the excellent Langewiesche book is dominated by its MV Estonia tale -- maybe it should have been a seperate book.

Focussing on Estonia: this was the worst maritime disaster in the industrialized world, ever.

Titanic is celebrated in legend as the greatest sea-going tragedy. But 40% of her passengers were saved; barely 10% of Estonia's people lived. 850 people were killed on a routine crossing of a shallow sea.

MV Estonia's lessons are very clear: poor maintenance and bad management set up the disaster; but untrained, unorganized crew turned the incident into a record-breaking tragedy.

BC Ferries' workers are often criticized for being overpaid and overtrained. Well, it's true - the woman who rings up your purchase in the gift shop, and the kid cleaning cafeteria tables ... all have life saving qualifications.

If a BC Ferries crew had been working on MV Estonia that horrible night 12 years ago -- maybe no one would have died.

[BrianWilliams]

Whoops, a late PS:

The MV Estonia story is well-documented in this official report:

www.onnettomuustutkinta.fi/estonia/