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Dockers and Seafarers Building Union Power TOgether

MLC - Seafarers’ Bill of Rights

Port Based Welfare Services Report

This report is based on the findings of a research project funded by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Seafarers’ Trust.

The project was started in April 2006 and finalised in March 2007.
The report is organised by themes, with each section covering a different aspect of welfare services and facilities for seafarers, including:
  • port based welfare services and the changes in them over the last 10 years;
  • contacts with seafarers’ welfare workers;
  • usage of seafarer centres;
  • usage of port based facilities;
  • communication with family and friends whilst on board; shore-leave;
  • alternative seafarer welfare provisions;
  • on board welfare provisions;
  • spiritual needs of seafarers;
  • how seafarers welfare could be improved; and
  • company policies on seafarers’ welfare.
There are two parts to this report.

The first is the summary report, which contains the main findings of the study, released in July 2007. It provides simple descriptive statistics supported by first person accounts.

The second part of the report is called 'Addendum to the Summary Report'. This provides further analytical results, details of the questions asked, tables containing the responses to each question, and recommendations for the ITF and the ITF Seafarers' Trust. It explores in greater depth the responses given by seafarers, particularly on ship visiting and shore leave. Both parts of the report can be downloaded using the links on the right of this page.

SIRC and the ITF Seafarers Trust would like to thank all those who responded to the questionnaires. We are indebted to the seafarers and shipping and ship management company representatives who gave their time to answer the semi-structured interview questions. In compliance with SIRC’s promise and the wishes of some participants, they are known only to SIRC and remain anonymous.