Home
FacebookTwitterSearchMenu
  • Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • News
  • Features
  • Knowledge Library
  • Columns
  • Customs
  • Jobs
  • Directory
  • FX Rates
  • Categories
    • Categories
    • Africa
    • Air Freight
    • BEE
    • Border Beat
    • COVID-19
    • Crime
    • Customs
    • Domestic
    • Duty Calls
    • Economy
    • Employment
    • Energy/Fuel
    • Events
    • Freight & Trading Weekly
    • Imports and Exports
    • Infrastructure
    • International
    • Logistics
    • Other
    • People
    • Road/Rail Freight
    • Sea Freight
    • Skills & Training
    • Social Development
    • Sustainability
    • Technology
    • Trade/Investment
    • Webinars
  • Contact us
    • Contact us
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Send us news
    • Editorial Guidelines
Sea Freight

Consistent downward trend in seafarer happiness

13 Nov 2023 - by Staff reporter
 Source: Marine Insight
0 Comments

Share

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • E-mail
  • Print

Issues around wages, workload and connectivity are continuing to weigh heavily on the seafaring community, raising serious concerns for the industry.

According to the latest happiness index, the level of happiness was down to 6.6/10 from 6.77 in Quarter 2. Shore leave, training and food were the only areas bucking the negative trend.

“We saw a mixed set of responses, featuring the highs and lows of life at sea. From a positive perspective, we heard that the seafaring life still holds an alluring promise of adventure and steady income, yet it also demands substantial sacrifice. This Q3 2023 report explores seafarer sentiment on the key issues impacting their happiness and well-being. Connectivity and communications were seen to represent a double-edged sword in this quarter’s feedback, enabling constant contact with loved ones but also potentially facilitating micromanagement from ashore. There were calls to develop guidelines to promote a healthy work-life balance through technology,” according to the Mission to Seafarers which undertook the survey.

Shore leave offers respite and bonding opportunities for crews, but barriers to it persist. The industry has been urged to recognise shore leave’s importance and facilitate time away from ship. There were calls in this quarter’s feedback for ports to improve their response to seafarers in this regard. Concerns emerged around salary inadequacy, especially for senior roles. Another gripe was catering budget constraints which can force nutritional compromises, underscoring the need for well-provisioned ships and skilled catering crews.

Maintaining onboard gyms and exercise equipment was also flagged as a concern.

Once again the issue of gender disparity and barriers to diversity came into play. “Fostering open communication and overcoming biases is essential. Male seafarers expressed the tensions they felt with family back home when working with female colleagues. Female seafarers in turn face challenges, including feeling stressed due to negative perceptions of their presence. There were reports of a lack of acceptance and inclusivity for women on board, leading to discomfort and exclusion. Yet again the issue of overwhelming workloads came to the fore. This was felt to be driven by expanding regulations and administrative tasks, and these take a toll on mental health,” the report pointed out.

Based on average response data over the past five quarters, there has now been a consistent downward trend in the Index. While overall seafarer happiness improved towards the end of 2022, it dropped from 7.12 in Q1 2023 to 6.77 in Q2 2023 and is now down to 6.6 in Q3 2023. The report adds that these results imply that seafarer satisfaction and happiness have been steadily worsening in 2023. This represents the longest sustained decline in seafarers’ happiness since the Seafarers’ Happiness Index was founded.

The trend is regarded as an area of serious concern for the industry.

Key recommendations centre on facilitating shore leave and engaging with ports globally, addressing remuneration concerns, promoting diversity and inclusion, managing workloads, and leveraging technology to enhance work-life balance.

Sign up to our mailing list and get daily news headlines and weekly features directly to your inbox free.
Subscribe to receive print copies of Freight News Features to your door.

Arrest of Molefe and others welcomed, but long-overdue – Saftu

Africa
Economy

The workers at UCW in Nigel – a local manufacturer with proven capacity – were the primary victims, Saftu said in a statement following the arrests.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Sharp increase in box losses at sea

Logistics
Sea Freight

A recurrence of last year’s losses off the Cape of Good Hope has not yet been observed in 2025.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Lack of rail interoperability stymies progress

Road/Rail Freight

“The AU has called for an integrated transport sector with world-class infrastructure that crisscrosses the continent." – Mesela Nhlapo, CEO, Aria.

Yesterday
0 Comments

DRC-Rwandan peace accord bodes well for Lobito Corridor

Logistics

The DRC and Rwanda have lapsed into a recurring internecine struggle in the Lake Kivu area.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Is the writing on the wall for the North-South Corridor?

Infrastructure
Road/Rail Freight

The switch from Beitbridge to the route via Botswana has exposed glaring infrastructural issues.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Shipping alliances and MSC dominate over 80% of container market

Logistics

Alliances offer operational efficiencies, but there are concerns about service quality, competition, and freight rate volatility.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Trade tension between the US and Canada increases over tech tax (*)

Imports and Exports
Trade/Investment

Some $750 billion in annual trade both ways could be impacted.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Civil contractors' confidence takes a knock

Logistics

Insufficient demand for projects is dampening the mood among the sector’s business leaders.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Chrome tax for ore exports a bad idea – trade consultant

Imports and Exports

The aim is to protect local ferrochrome producers, preserve jobs and boost industrialisation.

27 Jun 2025
0 Comments

The North-South Corridor – a copper stopper for logistics

Logistics
27 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Cabinet approves plan for ferrochrome export tariff

Economy
Imports and Exports

The government is intervening to stem the sector’s protracted decline, which has led to smelter closures and job losses.

27 Jun 2025
0 Comments

Vessels use message distortion to avoid detection

Sea Freight

These broadcasts have been observed since hostilities began between Israel and Iran.

27 Jun 2025
0 Comments
  • More

FeatureClick to view

Road & Rail 27 June 2025

Border Beat

Forum tightens net against border corruption
25 Jun 2025
Police clamp down on cross-border crime
17 Jun 2025
Zim's anti-smuggling measures delay legitimate freight operations
06 Jun 2025
More

Poll

Has South Africa's ports turned the corner?

Featured Jobs

New

Sea Export Controller (In-house)

Tiger Recruitment
East Rand
30 Jun
New

Export Controller

Lee Botti & Associates
Durban
30 Jun
More Jobs
  • © Now Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • Freight News RSS
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Send us news
  • Contact us