Ministry Of Transportation Ensures To Protect Indonesian Seafarers

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) ensures that it continues to provide good protection to Indonesian seafarers. The goal is that they can work well and calmly.

"We hope that seafarers can understand that the government is always trying to provide protection to seafarers, especially for seafarers who work abroad," said Director of the Center for Refresher Education and Improvement of Sailing Science (BP3IP) Ahmad in a written statement in Jakarta, Antara, Wednesday, April 20.

The government is aware of how seafarers have provided significant foreign exchange income for the country so that it can help turn the wheels of the economy. Data as of February 8, 2021, shows that almost 1.2 million Indonesian seafarers work on commercial vessels and fishing vessels.

The number of 1.2 million seafarers is a national asset in the maritime environment that can provide additional income for the country in terms of income tax.

Secretary of the Transportation Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDMP), Capt. A. Arif Priadi added that seafarers are the key to successful trade in the world, because the world depends on them to transport more than 80 percent of the volume of trade.

In addition, seafarers are one of the jobs that have great responsibility and high risk, such as ship accidents, ship fires and even sinking.

To prevent this risk, the qualifications of workers as seafarers are very high, namely with various kinds of competency and proficient qualifications in accordance with international standards contained in the International Convention on Standards for Training, Certification and Guard Service for Seafarers/STCW.

"Because of the high risk, seafarers must be given legal protection which is regulated comprehensively in the provisions of national legislation," he said.

The Government of Indonesia has ratified the Maritime Labor Convention 2006 (MLC 2006) on October 6, 2016 through Law Number 15 of 2016 concerning Ratification of the Maritime Labor Convention, 2006. Indonesia has also issued Law Number 17 of 2008 concerning Shipping and Government Regulation Number 7 of 2000 concerning Marine Affairs.

In Article 151 of Law Number 17 of 2008 concerning Shipping, it is stated that the welfare of seafarers includes salary, rest hours, guaranteed departure to the destination and return to the place of origin, compensation if the ship cannot operate due to an accident, opportunity to develop a career, providing accommodation , recreational facilities, food or drink, maintenance and health care as well as the provision of occupational accident insurance.