The world is gradually emerging from its three-month slumber brought about by the fight to control the spread of COVID-19.
But as people go back out to their jobs, enjoy a meal in their favourite restaurants, or even get back into entertainment, sporting events and other social activities, relieved at overcoming the “cabin fever” that has in some cases led to increased domestic violence, there is one group of individuals for whom “cabin fever” is literally a reality.
We are talking about the 100,000 crew members of cruise liners docked offshore at ports all
over the world, including many at our port, since cruise companies curtailed their operations in April and other ports closed.
Cabin fever is bad enough on land; imagine it on board a ship in the middle of the ocean. With protocols in place governing social distancing and other hygiene measures, these crew members may indeed be confined to their quarters and restricted from enjoying the swimming pools, restaurants, theatres and casinos of these vessels.
Britain’s The Independent reports that the situation has had a toll on some staff members’ mental health. The Miami Herald says that some of them are on hunger strikes, and added that two people from different ships have attempted suicide by jumping off the vessels.
In Barbados, we discovered just over a week ago that a Filipino worker onboard one of the ships docked here was found hanging in her cabin.
There have also been seven coronavirus-related deaths and 578 positive cases on the ships stuck out at sea.
It is true that the coronavirus pandemic caught everyone off guard but given that the cruise lines have managed to get all of the passengers back home since April, why did they not make the same provisions for their workers?
The Herald said: “Multiple cruise ship companies said they are trying to get their staff back onto land, but are struggling with government policies during the pandemic. Citing examples, Disney Cruise Line spokesperson Kim Prunty said that staff members on land are ‘working tirelessly to repatriate them’, but added that ‘with constantly changing requirements around the world and numerous borders still closed, this has proven to be an extremely complex process’.
“MSC Cruises spokesperson Luca Biondolilo added: ‘We are constantly in contact with the governments in these countries at the highest level on behalf of our crew and in some discreet cases we were able to persuade them to allow our crew back.’”
It has now been two months, and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has
expressed concern that some of these workers have not been paid either, which will make life even more difficult for them and their families. And some of the countries from which they originate may not have social security.
The ILO has recommended that cruise ship companies pay crew members at least sick wages during the COVID-19 pandemic; whether the crew are quarantined on land or ship.
Beyond that, according to research from the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB), some cruise lines have not paid their workers since March, while in another instance, crew members are being paid for 60 days past the end of their contract. That is simply unacceptable.
While we commend the cruise lines for not leaving their passengers stranded at sea and at risk of a major disease, they should have shown a greater level of care for their staff members who make that cruise ship experience memorable and keep visitors coming back for more.
Cruise companies are quick to negotiate with governments when it comes to finding destinations for their vessels, and indeed to register them, so why have they done so little to get their crews back home to their families?
We understand the fear that gripped several countries when it came to welcoming people to their shores in the wake of the pandemic, anxious that it might lead to more cases, especially where numbers were already high or they were successfully managing to keep it under control.
Prior to the pandemic, the cruise industry was one of the fastest-growing elements of global tourism, with several mega-ships scheduled for launch within the next three years.
Indeed, Sir Richard Branson got in on the game at the start of the year when he launched his first cruise vessel. Now, these efforts have run aground, but with no clear resumption date for this business either, it is simply not fair to leave workers stranded at sea any longer.
As borders are reopening now, the cruise lines and the jurisdictions where the ships are moored offshore – including our own – should make a determined effort to get those crewmembers home, and use this hiatus to make comprehensive contingency plans for their employees should the world face this type of situation again.
