Who’s more disgusting – pirates or those who “fight the piracy”?

ITF published it’s new “initiatives” with regards to Somali piracy, once again exposing the true nature of ITF ambitions and goals.
The first renegate in maritime organizations stronghold happened to be International Chamber of Shipping, proclaiming that they don’t oppose armed guards on board anymore. Armed guards became a practice long time ago, every responsible shipowner presently is contracting security agencies, or if possible, provides his vessels with military guards. Shipowners don’t care wether maritime organizations approve armed guards or not, it’s just the way of life – reality requires armed guards, maritime organizations oppose them for reasons they can’t explain. Shipowners want to secure the safety of their vessels, and as long as they live in real world, they do what they find appropriate.
In another world, world of mass-media and bureaucracy, we observe another reality, virtual one. In that reality everything what’s going on in shipping is initiated and approved by leading maritime organizations, such as IMO, ITF, BIMCO, the International Chamber of Shipping, INTERCARGO and INTERTANKO. Those organizations proclaim themselves as an elite of world shipping, as being industry leaders. Suddenly leaders found, that the gap between the reality and virtual reality became too wide not to notice – i.e. world shipping is doing exactly what it’s not supposed to do. Maritime organizantions can’t force shipping into something shipping simply can’t afford if it wants to survive, so maritime organizations must either announce themselves a nuisance or change their position. The first to give up was ICS, now followed by ITF, and in a very short time, I’m sure, others will join them and announce their new stance on armed guards.
Of course they try to save the face. That’s why ITF composed “initiatives”, to retreat “with honours” and if possbile, with gains. Let’s look at the results of ITF creativity. Half of their publication is devoted to fundamentals, explanation of ITF’s emotions and woes.

This has been caused by:
•    The cold blooded murder of two seafarers and drowning of another member of that crew;
•    The increased brutality of the pirates and the systematic torture of crew members on hijacked ships;
•    The increased and sustained attacks against ships running the gauntlet of gunfire and rocket propelled grenades in the area;
… …

Let’s remember, to aptly appreciate ITF feelings, that it were navies who in cold blood attacked the vessel ITF mentioned, notwithstanding the fact, that crew were hostages. Let’s remember, that 4 American yachtsmen were killed also because of irresponsible Navy actions. Let’s remember, that not ITF, nor other maritime organizations, protested against navies actions, which are becoming increasingly dangerous for crews. All they did were press-releases describing how enraged they are at pirates brutality, which came out suddenly, came out of nothing.
ITF quotes the already well-known figure, $US 7-12  billion, which estimates world economy losses caused by Somali piracy. I refuted those figures in my Study, any maritime organization quoting figures simply proves by quoting, that organization is a part of fraudulent scheme.  IMO (UN), ITF, BIMCO, the International Chamber of Shipping, INTERCARGO and INTERTANKO, while pursuing their interests, intentionally mislead public and States with falsified data, and though nobody seemed to care, that fact must be documented. Who knows, maybe some day activities of IMO, ITF, BIMCO, the International Chamber of Shipping, INTERCARGO and INTERTANKO will be subject to investigation.

ITF “initiatives” are very curious, to say the least. In fact, they’re as outrageous as sudden pirates brutality. Here they’re:

We advise seafarers and their trade unions to begin to prepare to refuse to go through the danger area, which includes the Gulf of Aden, off the Somali coast, the Arabian Sea and the wider Indian Ocean.

There is one safety measure which could nearly obliterate piracy threat long time ago, and everyone in undustry knows that measure – armed guards on board, either military or private, though of course, military preferrable for several reasons. If maritime organizations were in for making shipping safe, they could banner armed guards as the only alternative long time ago, and take whatever measures they could to ensure the safety of the vessels with the only guaranteed method to do it. Instead, they declared the war on pirates (prosecution of the pirates), and opposed armed guards as a measure, “leading to escalation of violence”. Now we’re deep in violence, with piracy threat growing every day, and everybody around is hiring armed guards. Organizations meanwhile, prosecute pirates with all money they can squeeze out of States and shipping. ITF’s advise “to begin to prepare to refuse” is a recognition of the fact, that they still don’t want to eliminate piracy threat, they want to go on with fighting pirates, as long as they get money to do it. ITF is trying to blackmail international community – either give us money to fight piracy, or else, that’s the true meaning of their “advise”.
ITF’s call to change the routes, demonstrates one more time, that IMO, ITF, BIMCO, the International Chamber of Shipping, INTERCARGO and INTERTANKO, are sticking to their “fighting piracy” policy, and aern’t going to change it.

Flag States should also ensure that:
•    All seafarers working on the ship are informed that the shipowner will take all necessary measures to protect them and their families in case they are kept captives as a consequence of a piracy act;
•    Shipowners are committed to ensure that every seafarer held captive has their full wages (including any additional risk premium) paid to their families until such time the seafarer is released;
•    Shipowners keep the families of captive seafarers properly informed about the steps taken to free their loved ones;
•    Shipowners/shipmanagers have in place contingency plans to attend to the psychological and medical needs of the seafarers and their families during and immediately after the period of captivity;
•    Shipowners/shipmanagers agree to fully co-operate with naval forces and law enforcement officials to bring pirates to justice, including paying wages, and paying accommodation and fares expenses incurred by any crewmembers who are required to testify.

Shipowners (shipping) suffer all losses incurred by piracy, but ITF found it’s not enough, and shipowners may be and must be cowed more. Nobody is responsible for anything except shipowners. By the way, I remember several cases when greediness of shipowners endangered lives of the highjacked crews, but ITF didn’t do anything (didn’t even reply to imploring letters of desperate relatives). When ITF forces shipowner into agreement with ITF (homage to a Mob, to call things their true names), ITF hounds and boycotts vessels of reluctant shipowner all around the globe, and sooner or later, shipowner has to surrender. Why ITF was so shy when lives of sefarers were at stake, maybe because there wasn’t any profit in it? Or maybe, they talked to shipowner, and both sides reached an agreement to mutual satisfaction?
If things will go as they’re going now, rather sooner than later, ITF will demand that along with pirates, shipowners also must be tried and convicted as equally guilty in highjacking of their vessels, while their fleet is to be auctioned by ITF-authorized brokers.

To make the true nature of ITF more clear:

We have repeatedly requested stronger intervention by all governments, including the flag of convenience states that are reaping the profits from so much of the world’s shipping fleet without meeting any of the obligations

If somebody totally alien to world shipping will try to find out what’s all about by reading ITF statements, that somebody will inevitably come to conclusion, that world shipping has two main enemies, shipowners and flags of convenience. Pirates and the rest, including typhoons and port control, score much less. Who in sound mind and sober condition will find Liberia or Cambodia capable of any intervention, leave alone “stronger”? What profits do they “reap”? Do those countries resemble UAE or Saudi Arabia? Are they known for their enormous wealth, reaped from world shipping and economy? ITF’s accusation should be related to maybe, murky state of the minds of those who wrote “initiatives”, but no, it’s not the case. One more quote from ITF statement:

The ITF recognises that a growing number of shipowners are, in order to discharge the employer’s duty of care to the seafarers on board, embarking private armed guards or using private security vessels. Such personnel should be suitably trained, and put on only when there is an agreement with the trade union(s) representing the seafarers and adequate provisions have been made to avoid the seafarers on board the vessel having to face any potential criminal or civil sanctions.

When there is no way to stop something, lead it. ITF had to react to reality, to recognize armed guards. ITF decided to (using their expressions) “reap the profit”, finding an excuse to once more nail (on absolutely factitious grounds) their biggest enemy, flags of convenience, and to get control over private armed guards. Well, they understand of course, that they won’t be able to control it as much as they would like to, in fact I doubt they’ll get any control over anything in there, but at least  it’s worth a try.

ITF is a trade union is a Mob. All ITF aspires for are power and money. I don’t know other equalling examples of such (using again, ITF expressions) outrageous and disgusting behaviour of an organization, claiming itself to be true and the only one defender of seafarers. Of such a betrayal of those, from whom organization makes it’s fortune – quite a big one, by the way, much bigger than pirates’ “profits”. The main difference between pirates and trade union is to the disadvantage of the latter – pirates at least risk their lives and are recongized as criminals, while trade union ITF enjoys immunity.

Mikhail Voytenko
Feb 27 2011