In the first instalment of our Members of the Month series, we hear from ISWAN members Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), the Association of Malaysia’s Maritime Professionals (IKMAL) and Dualog.
At its heart, ISWAN is a membership organisation and we are proud to have a network of over 80 members who are committed to improving the lives of seafarers worldwide.
Our members reflect the diversity present in the shipping industry today, from shipping companies to unions and insurance groups to welfare organisations, and bring a wealth of experience.
In our new Members of the Month series, we will showcase a different group of ISWAN members each month to share their role in the maritime industry and why they are passionate about seafarers’ welfare.
This month, we hear from ISWAN members Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), the Association of Malaysia’s Maritime Professionals (IKMAL) and Dualog.
1. WHO are you?
Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) is an integrated maritime solutions provider and one of the world’s top-ranking ship managers in the gas, tanker, offshore, container, bulk and cruise sectors managing a fleet of over 650 vessels.
2. WHAT do you do and why is seafarers’ welfare important to you?
The company operates a network of 11 ship management centres, 25 crew service and four wholly owned maritime training centres in more than 30 locations. With 20,000 experienced seafarers and 2,000 employees ashore, BSM constitutes a talented group of specialists with enormous industry experience.
Seafarers form the backbone of the shipping industry and perform one of the toughest jobs in the world. If it hadn’t been for them, global trade would have come to a standstill. At BSM we consider them the core of our business. They efficiently run and take care of the valuable assets of our customers, their ships. As a family-owned business, we value a culture of caring for one another. We are responsible for providing seafarers with a safe, healthy and supportive working environment to ensure crew retention and wellbeing, safe operations and successful partnerships for all.
3. WHY are you a member of ISWAN?
Mindful that life at sea is different to life onshore and has its own set of challenges, we offer several mechanisms and initiatives to support seafarers’ mental health and wellbeing during their time onboard. ISWAN works to improve the lives of seafarers and their families with services, resources, strategies and advocacy. We are proud to work with and support this organisation. We have arrangements with the helpline managed by ISWAN which gives seafarers the opportunity to connect with mental health professionals who listen and provide support with any problems that they may be experiencing. We have also introduced specific mental health training for our officers to educate and raise awareness of the importance of good mental health, so that they are able to support other seafarers onboard.
1. WHO are you?
We are the Association of Malaysia’s Maritime Professionals or the IKHTISAS KELAUTAN MALAYSIA (IKMAL), a duly registered non-governmental organisation (NGO) whose members comprise of maritime professionals on board vessels and ashore. Our objectives are two-pronged, i.e. to preserve and protect IKMAL Members’ welfare as well as enhance their professionalism.
2. WHAT do you do and why is seafarers’ welfare important to you?
We address grievances and issues related to Members’ welfare, especially those pertaining to employers’ recalcitrance, by acting to resolve them immediately, always aspiring for a ‘win-win’ outcome.
IKMAL also offers cash assistance to defray fees of eligible members attending STCW-mandated courses.
Cash assistance is also provided to members facing natural calamities, such as floods and to provide financial relief to members whose children are commencing schooling.
During national festivities, IKMAL organises handing over of gift boxes containing local Malaysian cookies to seafarers serving on board vessels berthed/anchored in Malaysian ports/waters.
IKMAL also assists its members in resolving cases relating to edict/procedures issued by the maritime administration.
IKMAL’s Council regards its members’ welfare and wellbeing as its paramount duty since many of them are ex-seafarers and understand the disappointment complainants experience when no one seems to be addressing their worries nor taking action!
We also organise workshops/seminars/conferences on current maritime topics as part of enhancing our members’ professionalism.
3. WHY are you a member of ISWAN?
Being based in Malaysia, IKMAL has limitations in immediately acting upon urgent issues faced by our members, who serve on board vessels trading internationally, when in foreign ports. We need to garner assistance from an entity that will be able to facilitate such help. ISWAN, being an association with a global network, offers such an opportunity.
Besides that, IKMAL sincerely acknowledges the yeomen effort undertaken by ISWAN in further buttressing seafarers’ welfare in totality.
Studies related to seafarers’ welfare undertaken by ISWAN are a boon for IKMAL and seafarers in general.
We truly acknowledge ISWAN’s dedication and professionalism in all activities it conducts.
1. WHO are you?
Established in 1994 and headquartered in Norway, Dualog is a B2B enterprise SaaS company focused on solving shipping-specific IT challenges.
2. WHAT do you do and why is seafarers’ welfare important to you?
Our solutions help vessel IT organisations integrate ship and shore ICT operations and enable an always-on, cyber-resilient, data-driven environment. Dualog’s in-house product development teams constantly challenge the limits of technology to create solutions to improve maritime business and life at sea. Fully supported 24/7 by a global team of product experts, our services currently empower more than 5,000 ships in worldwide trade.
Seafarers are the unsung heroes who keep the world economy going. Their vital role was even more apparent during the pandemic; the shipping industry had transported essential items like food and medicine, and seafarers made that happen. However, The Crew Change Crisis clearly showed the unfavourable conditions that many seafarers faced. The crisis saw thousands of seafarers stranded at sea for months, unable to disembark their vessels. In addition to their waning mental health in general, their daily duties also come with high risk. Therefore, we believe that supporting seafarers’ well-being also means acknowledging the silent sacrifices they had endured for the world’s well-being. Neither can flourish without the other.
3. WHY are you a member of ISWAN?
Dualog is proud to be a member of ISWAN as we believe in its mission and work to make a change in a seafarer’s journey. ISWAN’s vast support from renowned
international organisations reflects its commitment, credibility, and conviction. Most importantly, Dualog appreciates ISWAN for sharing the value of always being in touch with those who need our support.
5 December 2024
6 min read
A new joint study by ISWAN and Gujarat Maritime University examines the under-researched issue of fraudulent recruitment in India and the steps that can be taken to provide safer routes into a seafaring career.Â
3 December 2024
1 min read
The ISWAN Seminar 2024 in India, hosted on 28th November at the Maritime Training Institute (SCI) in Mumbai, brought together key maritime stakeholders to address pressing challenges affecting seafarers and their families.
28 November 2024
1 min read
A joint study by ISWAN and Gujarat Maritime University reveals the devastating impact of recruitment fraud on India's maritime workforce. The report uncovers how unscrupulous agents exploit seafarers, trapping thousands in cycles of debt, dangerous working conditions, and professional uncertainty.
