TO : SCI
CC: ALL SCI SHIPS
Dear Sir,
Apropos the recent increment of officers' salaries by the company's management, i want to make it clear that i would still opt for the relief instead of the raise. As it is, i am comtemplating intervention of external agencies to obtain the same after completion of the article time by august end.
I would also like to suggest that the company should come out with some alternate scheme to ensure signing off after 4 months during this intervening period of shortage. Infact a faction of officers might even agree to have their one month, or so, salary be retained back by the company in return for a guaranted sign off. That salary, along with some emolument, could be released immediately upon joining of the officer on the next vessel, say, within some stipulated period. In the otherwise case it could be like some propotionate retributive measure for violation of ad hoc agreement. (legal complexities have not been weighed, though apparently not infeasible idea).
The above hinges on the fact the basic atricle period as per the present INSA-MUI agreement is still 7 months on tankers. But the popular demand is that of 4-6 months only. So any demand for less than stipulated time should be seen as breach of contract. Also that, the SCI has never done a hot pursuit of its trained professional who are poached away by high payers, on whom the SCI invests so much on training. While a hot pursuit could never be a good, humane thing, a slightly moulded way could be adopted to resolve it's own crisis of professionals.
It must be noted by all the concerned people that the basic crisis we are fighting for is that of untimely relief and not of salary hike?! or are we? but a good, or may be even a more popular, faction amogst the officers is concentrating and also successfully translating the whole issue of poor relief into an under- payment fight more by agreeing to any kind of Prolonged service allowance or suchlike. Is our aim not getting deviated. Did 2nd officer of Desh Vaibhav, celebrating an NRI status, and still a rich man by many a standrads of an average Indian's income die for so petty a cause as money???! or was it relief??
The government and the company management both remain responsible to avert more such actions, a retributive measure of minor degree should be affirmatively considered to get to the solutions straight. There are a number of reasons why people still return to SCI even after knowing all it's problems. Some want promotion and some social security,some want sea time and some aim for shore jobs at an early age.As Mr A Mishra from MT DS Thapa puts it, the increment is 'peanuts' ( too much of this 'Peanut' thing btw), get it outright that 'that' dream salary of foreign flags enticing enough to block the exodus is not going to happen until the present state-of-affairs in India. Ukrainins are flying the Indian's planes. Under employment, crew count and catering staff in SCI is nearly same. Nothing signals of any prosperity justifying our demands, may be except for that 'shopping spree' by the SCI. NUSI/FSUI has it's own demand of salary hike.Strength of unity cannot bring dead to life. To fight more is diluting our purpose, that of relief, which to my thinking, is violation of Mariner's Human Right in the present times.
Let's be sure of what we want, please.
I am.
Manish Singh
Ch.Off
Thanks
Brgds
Captain D.K. Misra
Master
FONJS SEKHON PVC
