Photo: deela dee / Shutterstock
by John Konrad (gCaptain) Frank Coles is turning into a one-man force to be reckoned with. Articles are written by the ex-group CEO at Wallem, and CEO Transas, and President of Inmarsat Maritime, on gCaptain and Splash24/7 has been shared tens of thousands of times. Now Frank has launched a Change.org petition asking Biden, Boris Johnson, and the EU to create “green channels” to expedite seafarer travel to and from their ships.
The most explosive article about Coles, published as part of gCaptain’s Day Of The Seafarer series, came shortly after his interview on Lena Göthberg’s popular Shipping Podcast. The article, titled “Seafarers Need To Strike, Says Frank Coles“, has been read 15,164 times and was shared by over 8,600 people via social media.
“I don’t want it to happen but I think it should be talked about,” said Coles. “We need a global strike of all seafarers because change has never happened without something really bringing the role of the seafarer to the forefront. While we continue to have seafarers who work in squalid and appalling conditions, while nobody in government is willing to stand up, nothing is going to change.”
Coles’ latest work is a petition launched this weekend that has already reached its initial goal of over 1,000 signatures.
“Countries have closed their borders, flights stopped and extremely taxing rules put in place for any travel,” says Coles. “This has placed an extraordinary strain on the mental welfare of the mariners. It also puts the safety of ships at risk. Mariners at home have been unable to join ships, and have been unable to support their families.”
Coles believes the industry will comply with vaccines and isolation mandates but we must have a global enforceable protocol for the repatriation of mariners and health care in ports. He also believes that we must get the world leaders to create a protocol that sets out the right of seafarers to travel to and from ships without the onerous regulations for visas.
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 110,240 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
By Dimitri Rhodes Nov 7 (Reuters) – Belgian oil tanker company CMB Tech says it will focus on the fast growing market in India as it reported third quarter results...
In a bold move amidst Russia’s intensified rocket attacks on civilian ships and Ukrainian ports, Maersk has launched a new weekly container service into Ukraine, signaling resilience in the country’s...
By Robert Tuttle (Bloomberg) A tanker of Canadian crude was shipped from Vancouver to Alaska for the first time in at least 10 years as the recently expanded Trans Mountain pipeline...
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
Sign Up
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 110,240 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
