Careers at Sea: Exploring Seafarer Motivations and Aspirations

Nowadays, in the era of flexible and precarious employment, the concept of a ‘career for life’ in one organisation appears to be redundant, as most employees in the global labour market do not have permanent employment (ILO, World employment and social outlook: the changing nature of jobs. Geneva: International Labour Office, 2015). This chapter focuses on the shipping industry as an example of a global industry that employs over a million seafarers (BIMCO, Manpower 2005 update: the worldwide demand for and supply of seafarers. Warwick: Warwick Institute for Employment Research, 2015) as their main labour force in what could termed flexible employment. The chapter explores the idea of having a ‘career’ within the precarious shipping industry by focusing on the reasons for joining, staying, and leaving a seafaring occupation. The chapter is based on existing literature, and on recent data that was collected as part of a study on seafarers’ career development.

EXPLOITATION

The notion of exploitation is prominent in political discourse and policy debates. It is central in analyses of labour relations, especially focusing on the weakest segments of the labour force including women and children (International Labour Office 2017a, 2017b). It features in controversies on surrogate motherhood (Wood 1995; Wertheimer 1996), and on drug-testing and the price of life-saving drugs, especially in developing countries.

The ILO

E. F. Penrose became chief of the Economic Section at the International Labour Office in Geneva under the American, John Gilbert Winant, formerly chairman of President Roosevelt’s Social Security Board; he offered Edith a position as a research assistant. In June 1939 she left her baby son with her parents and travelled to Geneva. They remained working in Geneva but fled across France and Spain to Lisbon in August 1940 after the Nazi invasion of France. Winant negotiated a wartime base for the ILO in Montreal and E. F. Penrose and Edith worked there, with her son David, until September 1941. Edith began work on Food Control in Great Britain, a study of the production, distribution, and consumption of food during the war.

Juridical Consequences of the Decisions of the International Labour Conference

Summary The Author describes the International Labour Conference, as the "annual meeting of the Member States of the International Labour Office. " The I.L.O. has as purpose "to promote social justice in the interest of world peace.'' After a short analysis of the means at the disposal of this organization, the Author establishes the necessary distinctions between three types of decisions which the I.L.O. may reach: Resolutions, Recommendations and Conventions. He then emphasizes the characteristics of the obligation of the Member States towards conventions, discussing the rôle of public opinion and of the functions of boards of inquiry. The author gives considerable attention to the case of federated states such as Canada, who enjoy a privileged situation, as the legislative jurisdiction here on labour questions is not entirely confined to the central authority. The possible points of dispute are studied in conclusion as well as the eventual sanctions.