Those who have had the misfortune of working with me know how I always warble on about all crew and no passengers. So, it’s interesting to actually be a passenger and not part of the crew. I just hope they don’t make me walk the plank or put me to work ! 

Anyhow, thought I’d write a little about the crew 

The crew consists of 19 guys including Germans, Lithuanians Ukrainians and primarily Filipinos who by working on container ships are in a job that pays substantially more than jobs found at home. 

I spend a lot of time with the Filipino second and third officers. Richard and Paolo. They both have families at home and they work long contracts so don’t get to see them much. Everyone is on contract. You work a 9 month on 2 months off contract if you’re crew Think about that. If you have kids you get to see them essentially 2 months a year ! 

Junior officers work 6 months on and 2 off while senior officers work 4 and 4. It’s hard and lonely work but for the Filipinos it’s really a way to get ahead financially . In addition to this job they all were running side businesses with family back home. Every one of them told me they don’t see this as a long term thing . 20 years then home and build a business there. It made me laugh cause 20 years seems pretty long to me😟. It’s all about perspective,

For years these cargo companies have discriminated against Filipino employees in terms of advancement Captain Nelson is one of the few Filipino captains in the company. He is quite open about the disparity in terms of pay and work expectation between European Captains and Filipino ones. 

The  chief engineer is German . He works four months then is off four months but paid for the entire 8 months as he is under European working laws. Captain Nelson does the same but he is only paid for the 4 months he is working. That is true of all the Filipino employees. If they don’t work they don’t get paid. These Companies save a lot of money doing this. Now, certainly the Filipino employees earn well for their economy but there is no such thing as pay equality. 

Employees often extend their contracts. I met one crew member who has been on this ship for 18 months. He goes home in 17 days. He hasn’t seen his family in a year and a half. He will take 2 months off and then head out again. Not the life for a family man but some people have fewer choices . As he talked he showed me downloaded videos his wife sends of his kids That’s how he knows them .


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