On February 7, 2019 the Maritime Union Center hosted the MTWTU-organized roundtable meeting to discuss one of the most pressing maritime issues of today.
Since January 1, 2019, the number of maritime centers providing seafarers’ training and certification services has quintupled their prices. Therefore, the initial price of 800 UAH (as of December 2018) for the STCW Safety Familiarization, Basic Training for all Seafarers has shot up to about 4,200 UAH. Such tariff escalation has triggered a wave of resentment among the Ukrainian seafarers.
To clarify the situation the Union has gathered together the Inspectorate for Training and Certification of Seafarers, Ukrainian Maritime Administration, maritime training centers, leading crewing agencies and seafarers to discuss the issue, to exchange disturbances, comments and suggestions.
The Inspectorate for Training and Certification of Seafarers and the Maritime Administration tried their best to answer all the seafarers’ questions, however unfortunately the vast majority of them remained unanswered.
“Our mission is to voice the issue and jointly alter the situation concerning those issues, determined today both by seafarers and training centers’ representatives. Additionally, we consider it crucial to establish a constructive dialogue with the Maritime Administration of Ukraine in order to set up a system to simplify seafarers’ certification,” said Oleg Grygoriuk, MTWTU First Vice Chairman.
