防疫封关重现，挫去年第四季海员幸福指数
‘Yo-Yo’ effect in Covid-19 restrictions causing havoc for seafarers, says Q4 2021 Seafarers Happiness Index
图片：根据最新指数反映，海员幸福感跟随新冠疫情起跌波幅，新冠变种病毒Omicron引发多国实施出入境限制，海员幸福指数应声而跌（Image: Seafarer happiness seems to have mimicked the waves of Covid, with seafarer wellbeing decreasing with rise in restrictions due to the Omicron variant, according to the latest Seafarers Happiness Index. Image: Getty Images）
根据海事慈善机构「海员传道会」（Mission to Seafarers）发布海员幸福指数去年第四季度报告，2021年海员的福祉继续受新冠疫情严重影响（Covid-19 continued to severely affect the wellbeing of seafarers in 2021, according to the Q4 report of the Seafarers Happiness Index by maritime charity the Mission to Seafarers.）
报告指新冠病毒的不确定性和波动导致整体海员幸福指数由6.59下降至6.41，并对海员福利产生重大影响。(The report said that covid uncertainty and fluctuations caused an overall decrease in happiness from 6.59 to 6.41 and led to a major impact on seafarer welfare.）
由Wallem Group和Standard Club支持的调查强调，去年全年海员的幸福感起伏不定，反映着疫情感染波幅。报告称，由于不可预测的病毒变种兴起和世界各地不同的爆发率，而引起的传染病一波又一波疫情，正对心理健康产生严重影响。(The survey, undertaken with the support of Wallem Group and the Standard Club, highlighted that 2021 saw seafarer happiness rise and fall throughout the year, mirroring the waves of Covid infections. The ‘yo-yo’ nature of the pandemic, caused by unpredictable variants and different rates of outbreaks across the world, is having a serious impact on mental health according to the report.)
海员传道会表示，面对要求重覆进行新冠病毒检测和隔离检疫规定的「严惩」，海员们提出担忧。该慈善机构还指出，船上的关系很紧张，愈来愈多海员表示船上遇到欺凌和骚扰；亦有愈来愈多海员正在计划转行，这可能导致替补船员短缺问题恶化及人才流失。(Mission to Seafarers says seafarers have raised concerns about the ‘draconian nature’ of repeated Covid testing and the quality of quarantine provision. The charity also noted that relationships onboard are strained and there have been an increasing number of seafarers talking of bullying and harassment on their ships. More seafarers are planning for a career change, which could lead to an imminent shortage of replacement crews and a drain of seafarers away from the industry.)
该报告强调改善船岸连线问题的进展，海员表示他们的在线时间有所增加，还对在长假期间获赠免费电话或互联网网络连线表示感谢。然而，能否提供免费或廉价网络连线的船只之间，技术差距仍然存在。网络连线对海员来说是一个非常重要的问题，调查指出，愈来愈多海员指在签订新合约前总要确定是否有网络连线。(The report highlighted the progress in ship-shore connectivity, with seafarers saying their online access has increased. They also expressed their gratitude for campaigns to deliver free access to calls or internet access over the holiday period. However, a technology gap certainly still exists with a clear division between vessels that provided free or affordable access compared with those that don’t. Connectivity at sea is a very important issue to seafarers; the survey notes that more and more seafarers are stating they always check what access they will have before accepting new contracts.)
在他们的回应中，海员们再次指出，尽管国际间有关键工人的倡议，他们却未感受到获认可。对行动自由受限、疫苗短缺以及航运公司获利却没有重新投资于劳动市场以保持行业发展，他们亦表示担忧。(In their responses seafarers again noted their lack of recognition as key workers, despite the initiatives to do so. They expressed concerns over limited freedom of movement, a shortage of vaccinations, and a perception that the profits of shipping companies are not being invested back into the workforce that keeps the industry moving.)
海员对于值班时间、工作和休息日的反应亦令人担忧。他们表示目前普遍采用每天休息时数6小时、6小时轮班制，并不应持续；工程人员亦批评船上原本规划的维护工作未能完成，部分亦未达到要求标准。(There were also a number of worrying responses regarding watchkeeping and hours of work and rest. They reported a rise in a six on/six off watch patterns, something which is not felt to be sustainable. Engineers commented that they felt planned maintenance onboard was not being done, and some not to the necessary standards.)
海员传道会秘书长Andrew Wright表示，纵观2021年的整体海员幸福指数结果，希望报告能鼓励各方吸取教训，在2022年更多投资在海员身上，无论是继续改善网络连线、调整工作时间或加强培训。深入了解他们面对的挑战，并作出应变，以助海上工作的男女海员迎难而上。他感谢所有海员分享经验，使行业能够以海员福祉为核心继续发展。(Andrew Wright, secretary-general of Mission to Seafarers, said: ‘Looking at the results of 2021 as a whole, we hope this report will encourage organisations to recognise the lessons for 2022, when it comes to investing in their seafarers, whether it is continuing to improve connectivity, adjusting working hours, or enhancing training. It is about understanding the challenges and making a difference to support the men and women serving at sea. Thank you to all those seafarers for sharing their experiences so the industry can continue to develop with seafarer well-being at its heart.’)
Nautilus与海员传道会携手再次呼吁，在2022年确立海员关键工人地位，并进一步投入资源支持海员福祉。(Nautilus joins Mission to Seafarers as they reiterate the call for key workers status and further investment in seafarer support during 2022.)
