Since the outbreak of the ‘ Wuhan’ novel coronavirus, it has become a difficult issues relating to seafarers sign-off and sign-on, with lots of countries port control dening off-signers (seafarers whom already comes to the end of their contract of employment onboard a vessel and prepares for his or her transfer and transport home).
Last month, aproximently thousands of seafarers who visited Chian port and other countries with high coronaviruse victims was rejected from signing-off, after they have completed their contracts of employment. Meanwhile in the present month, the number of rejections by port authorities has increased with 40%.
The increase comes as more countries affected with the deadly virus try to prevent the virus incoming and more spreading. Not withstanding, lots of visa was denied for seafarers due to same measure of preventing coronaviruse.
However, some ship crews was reported abounded in China ship dry dock without foods, water, and with ship off water as all dry docks workers left the yard due to same virus issues.
What that means to seafarers employment?
Since the seafarers employment are base on exchange, without allowing off-signers to leave the ship, and rejection of traveling visa to On-signer crews, then it’s automatically generating an increase to unemployment.
With such measures continued, approximately within some few months, the seafaers unemployment rate will be doubled, while the operation onboard vessels might not be safe, since the crews onboard required some rest and home sick.
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