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The status of a sailor – a good step towards restoring the competitiveness of Polish seafarers. Polish flag – task still to be done
Author:Mariusz Dasiewicz
A few days ago, the Ministry of Family and Social Policy presented for public consultation a bill aimed at reforming the social security system of seafarers under the Polish flag. The status of a sailor who has been completely neglected for the past 34 years since the systemic transformation began is a key element of this reform.
In the article
The current regulations on social security for seafarers are one of the main causes of the collapse of the Polish commercial fleet and the elimination of Polish seafarers from the international labour market. The consequences of this negligence are felt by three key actors: seafarers, shipowners and the state.
Seafarer status – the basis of the proposed reform
The essence of the draft amendments is to introduce the status of "marine". The minimum wage is to be the basis for the contribution to a person with the status of ‘marine’ employed on a seagoing ship. This is a step in the right direction, because such a solution will improve the competitiveness of Polish seafarers on the international shipping labour market. However, the project does not provide solutions encouraging shipowners to register ships under the Polish flag. This is still a matter to be resolved.
Government challenge – introduction of modern solutions in the ship register
The Polish vessel registration system still operates on archaic principles which, like the lack of economic incentives, discourage shipowners from choosing the Polish flag. The most striking example is the lack of electronic ship register. All over the world, it is common practice to file electronically. On the other hand, our Polish ship register still requires paper documents. Another problem is not being able to use English. The language of "worker" in international navigation is English. That's the way it is. In order to register the ship, all documents must be translated into Polish. This for foreign shipowners is a time-consuming and discouraging bureaucratic mitra. I will not mention the complex rules for the registration of ships, including pre-paid registration fees.
Competitive examples from abroad
Other countries, such as France, have found ways to make their flags more attractive. France has introduced a scheme to refinance seafarers' social security contributions, provided that the shipowner has recovered funds for fleet development and employment growth. The introduction of similar solutions in our regulations would be an important incentive for shipowners to register ships under the Polish flag and how to rebuild the maritime commercial fleet under the Polish flag.
Main obstacles to restoring the Polish flag – summary
The current regulations in Poland are not adapted to the needs of the modern shipping market. The high registration fees, the lack of English as the second official language and the outdated social security system are only some of the barriers. In addition, there are no regulations on maritime mortgages, which would improve the credit opportunities of shipowners operating ships under the Polish flag and also a low-attractive tonnage tax. All this together, discourages shipowners from registering their ships under the Polish flag.
Social awareness and anticipation of reforms
Badania opinii publicznej pokazują, że Polacy dostrzegają wagę posiadania floty handlowej pod polską banderą. Większość respondentów uważa, że Polska powinna zrobić wszystko, aby powrócić na morza i oceany. Ponad 80% badanych opowiada się za wprowadzeniem ułatwień w rejestracji statków oraz za bodźcami ekonomicznymi dla armatorów. Polacy zdają sobie sprawę, że tylko kompleksowe podejście, obejmujące reformy w zakresie ubezpieczeń społecznych, uproszczenia w rejestracji oraz odpowiednie zachęty ekonomiczne, może przyczynić się do odbudowy polskiej bandery.
Conclusions
Reforma systemu ubezpieczeń społecznych marynarzy, w tym wprowadzenie statusu „marynarza”, to krok konieczny i w dobrym kierunku, ale nie wystarczający. Aby przywrócić polską banderę na morza i oceany, potrzebne są bardziej kompleksowe i zdecydowane zmiany, które uwzględnią zarówno potrzeby marynarzy jak i armatorów. Polska musi dostosować swoje przepisy do międzynarodowych standardów, aby stać się konkurencyjną na globalnym rynku żeglugowym. Tylko wtedy możliwe będzie przywrócenie polskiej floty handlowej pod narodową banderą, co jest kwestią nie tylko prestiżową, ale także ekonomiczną i strategiczną dla bezpieczeństwa kraju.
Author: Tadeusz Hatalski, Capt. W.
