Tag: wi-fi

In the second part of our interview with Doris Ho, we asked the Chief Executive Officer of crewing agent Magsaysay Group about her work to improve the quality of life for seafarers. This goes beyond the usual interest in boosting morale and into the realm of providing services that can address their financial and social needs.

To Ms Ho, seafaring is already a highly efficient model of globalised labour. No other industry sector has a comparable governance structure, with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) exercising standards over training and safety of life at sea, through its member states. Ms Ho thinks that land-based business can learn something from shipping’s flexible labour practices.

Retaining quality officers and crew has become a full-time struggle for shipowners. As the shortage of candidates has become less cyclical and more structural, employers are having to look beyond simple remuneration and offer more value-added benefits.

Crew calling – a catch-all term that these days encompasses voice calls, SMS, email and very occasionally web access – is probably the best known of these and is a common part of such packages offered by owners serious about loyalty.