Happiness barometer: Satisfaction among seafarers on the rise again

In times of so much bad news, good news must not go under!

After months of despair during the COVID-19 pandemic, the year 2022 saw a recovery in the well-being of seafarers. The "Mission to Seafarers", which looks after the most important thing in the shipping industry - its people - publishes the "Seafarers Happiness Index" quarterly as a barometer of sentiment in the commercial shipping industry. Seafarers are asked ten key questions each quarter, in which they share their views on the issues that affect their lives and work. The latest report shows that seafarer satisfaction has continued to rise. It has reached averages of 7.3 and 7.69 on a scale of 10 in the last two quarters of 2022, up from 5.85 at the beginning of the year, the lowest ever recorded.

Loading crew on the Calimantan Palm, Singapore. Photo: ILO/M.Crozet

Lack of appreciation?

The surveys of seafarers show that while the scores have risen in almost all categories, reflecting the continuing upward trend throughout the year, it also shows the clearly negative impact of the COVID pandemic on seafarers' well-being. Ongoing issues such as conflicts and contractual arrangements have also played a part in the depressed mood. During the pandemic, many seafarers felt that their welfare was not being properly considered and that their working conditions were becoming increasingly difficult.

Trend reversal

With the turnaround now visible, and with improvements even in problematic areas such as shore leave and access to social benefits ashore, seafarers expressed their relief at the return to freedom of movement and their increased sense of security and stability.

Welding gangway on the Ameglia Star. Photo: ILO/M.Crozet

Although there are still complex challenges in the industry, such as non-payment or late payment of wages, the Mission for Seafarers emphasises the importance of fair treatment, fair pay, compassion and promoting a positive outlook for seafarers. However, the index also shows that the only area in which satisfaction has decreased is the Connections through communication systems whose poor quality and high costs continue to affect social life at sea. However, the time of despair seems to have come to an end with the significant improvement in the mood of the seafarers.

Future challenges

The Mission for Seafarers points out that despite the positive progress, there is still a lot to be done. This includes, among other things, the workload and stress caused by staff shortages and their impact on health. As we all know, these are issues that need to be addressed again and again in our navy.

Source: UN - International Labour Organisation (ILO), Mission to Seafarers, Maritime Executive