Mr. Abdulgani Y. Serang is the General Secretary cum treasurer of National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI). NUSI was founded by his great grand father Mr. Khansaheb Mohamed Ebrahim Serang. Mr. Abdulgani Serang has joined NUSI in the year 1983. To feel the seafaring life he had sailed onboard SCI ships S/O Nagaland in the year 1988 and 1994. Mr. Serang is quite famous in shipping industry thus his name is enough to introduce him to our readers. Jobships.com is pleased to have Mr. Abdulgani Serang as its home-page guest.

Jobships.com : NUSI is totally dedicated for the welfare of Indian seamen. How far, according to you, it succeeded to achieve its goal?

Mr. Serang : It has succeeded very well. To our pride, we are not just about our seafarers, but for both seafarers and their families. Apart from the usual concerns like wages, terms and conditions of seafarers etc, NUSI is also aware of the welfare activities for seafarers and their families from social aspect. In addition to the agreement, NUSI has, on Indian and foreign flagships, NUSI’s welfare activities widen to medical and hospitalization of seafarers, NUSI Maritime Academy and home for the aged seafarers. The “home for the aged” project (started from 1992) addresses the seafarers who have nobody behind to look them after. Our concept behind this project is “Homb to Tomb”. Hence, we offer them all needed facilities along with our assurance that we are with them till they breathe their last.

Any other union in India or perhaps in anywhere else may not have engaged in such a segment of providing facilities to the retired seafarers. Usually, members of any union enjoy the facilities till retirement. But we provide welfare facilities even after their retirement. I think, we have successfully moved beyond the usual trade union activities and we are very proud of it.

Jobships.com : Would you like to hint some other welfare activities NUSI is performing for the Indian seafarers?

Mr. Serang: Apart form talked-about projects, we offer a monthly financial assistance for more than 2000 widows of seafarers. Infact, we are happy to say that just last week only, we extended this facility to the widows belong to Kolkata, whether their husbands were our member or not. It’s indeed not necessary that the widows of our member-seafarers only enjoy this facility. We decided to extend our financial assistance facility to widows of our members as well as non-members. We are offering this assistance to some widows whose husbands were never been our member although we have some guidelines for that. Last week only we cleared the first batch of 12 such widows whose husbands were never been our members.

We also have a medical facility; not just for the in-service seamen but also for the retired seamen. Meanwhile we are conducting pre-sea & post sea residential training as also statutorily required courses through our NUSI Maritime Academy for those who want to become seafarers. 

Jobships.com : What would be your next stand in favor of the 18 Indian crews onboard MV Stolt Valor? Can you inform us the progress to rescue the Indians seamen?

Mr. Serang: You must be aware that we have taken “MV Stolt Valor” issue to the highest level position. We met Mr. T.R.Baalu, Minister of Shipping and also Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Minister of External affairs. We initially put-forth two demands. First one is the Govt. should intervene and take a quick step on the issue of Stolt Valor. As a result, the Govt finally had sent a delegation to the Japanese owner. Another demand was Indian Naval fleet should be policing in Gulf-of-Aden area. Both the demands have been taken seriously and have worked out properly.

But, we are concentrating more on the Stolt right now. Since we have taken the issue to the highest level and Govt also sent a delegation to Japan, we have been advised to keep a bit low key on the issue at the moment. Because it’s a process of negotiation with the hijackers, a war with the devils, you can say. So, we don’t want anything that might jeopardize the negotiations. We wanted to raise the issue to Govt, we did. And by God’s grace, we are being informed from the delegation that there are certain positive signs. So, we are deliberately waiting and will move forward if the situation demands.

Jobships.com : All media have covered the issue of Stolt Valor when the hijack happened. But after some days, all are suddenly stopped as no updates were there. Some seafarers as well as common people now start thinking that the issue has been subsided. How you will be able to convince them that the issue is not subsided?

Mr. Serang: Hijacking is a very critical and different situation where we have to deal with the pirates; it’s not a normal one. We can’t frame out the happenings one by one in this matter. The issue is not subsided, for sure. We are maintaining a close-watch on the issue. Negotiations are going on with the pirates who are not normal people. Professional negotiators are involved in the process and we have to give them some time to conclude the issue. It’s totally not possible to give a fixed time frame or projected result that when the crews are going to be freed as it depends on the hijackers. But, we are very sure of its positive ending although it may take some time.

Mr. Serang : Manning companies are like a postman. So, we can’t expect a concrete result from them in a hijacking case. And in Stolt Valor, the responsible manning company, Fleet Management had taken the issue up to the Japanese owner very strongly of which I am aware of. Fleet management had done everything of their extent possible; even they have done much more for the crews confined by the hijackers. There is no point of blaming the manning company as we are not playing any blaming game. We want a positive result of the issue. And Fleet management had done a good job from their part.

Jobships.com : In your opinion, is shipping ministry concerned sufficiently, particularly in this case?

Mr. Serang : We had a meeting with Mr. T.R.Baalu. He had made known to us about his letter to PM on the issue. After all, it’s an issue of the entire nation. Not only Shipping Ministry is involved in this case, but Ministry of Foreign Affairs, External Affairs and Ministry of Defense are also involved. After meeting with Mr. Baalu, we came across the steps that Govt. has taken to sort out the issue. We also had a talk with Mr. Pranab Mukherjee. We have seen affirmative signs from Govt part to set free the crews onboard MV Stolt Valor.

But one thing we have to understand that this is a very uncommon situation. We can’t let our Navy ships to go there and have a sort of commando action. That idea is already ruled out as it can endanger the lives of the crews. Only option is to wait for the completion of the negotiation process.

Jobships.com : As a protest of Govt. delay to rescue the Indian seamen, NUSI had boycotted a meeting with A.P.V.N Sharma. Also, seafarers aboard all 470 Indian merchant ships have refused to sail. What is the Govt. reaction on it? Do you think these agitations have worked out?

Mr. Serang: That was a part of our agitation. Seafarers onboard infect have the right to know about the status of Stolt Valor as well as whether it is safe to trade on that particular route or not.

The very fact is that because of that agitation only Govt has quickly sent a naval ship to patrol on that area. During that time only Govt had decided to send a delegation to Japan to converse with the owners. So, I think, our agitation was strong enough and it worked out by the book.

Jobships.com: What would you like to say to convince the family members of those 18 Indian families?

Mr. Serang : We offer our genial consolation for the families of all the 22 crews’ onboard Stolt Valor. We know they are very apprehensive for their beloved. No doubt, they are going through a very hard time. We are also sanguine to give them a positive result. I can assure them, whatever had to be done to rescue their beloved, it has been done already. I think, we are now very close to end up the issue positively.

Jobships.com : Meanwhile, we guess, you are not overlooking the issue of “Hebei Spirit”. So, what is progress on the issue? Is Korean Govt. going to withdraw the departure ban on the Indian due? (Capt. Jasprit Chawla and Chief Officer Syam Chetan)

Mr. Serang : Definitely not. But again, the matter is in the court. If it would have been an industrial matter, as a union we definitely could have asked our seafarers to go for some industrial action or could have agitated on our ships as we have done for Stolt Valor.

But as I said it is purely a court case. So those kinds of actions or reactions are not going to effect. We have to abide by the rules. But yeah, it’s very pathetic that the two Indian offices are still experiencing a departure ban, even after a clean acquittal from a federal court.

We are very sure of a positive outcome very soon. Otherwise, we are planning to take the issue to International level, if things don’t work out properly over here. We are not overlooking the issue at all.

Jobships.com : I have heard you many times, actively raising your voice for the welfare of Indian crew. Unfortunately, Indian crews are still suffering unemployment whereas Industry is facing shortage of Officers? Why this imbalance?

Mr. Serang : Yes, the shortage of quality officers is occurring worldwide. Even there is a shortage of quality petty officers and ratings also. The industry is in need of trained and quality officers to work on LNG and LPG.

But coming to the point of job-imbalance, yes, it is correct. Mushrooming of so many training institutes is one of the causes of this imbalance. At a point, the Govt also wanted to ban these. But the matter went up to the court and institutes are spread over like epidemic. There are lots of training institutes which circulate false propaganda. They induce wrong golden dreams in people’s mind, demand a lot of money and thereby mislead people. It’s very true that all rivers don’t end up in the sea; some rivers dry up on its way!

I did not say that jobs have been reduced. Infact, jobs are increasing. As a seafarer’s organization, NUSI has agreement with the Japanese, Norwegians, Italians, and Germans etc. So, you can’t say that jobs are decreasing. But along with the jobs, people chasing those jobs are also increasing. So, this situation is generating a negative impact.

In our maritime academy at NUSI, we have capacity of quite a lot. Still we offer admission to less than the capacity students. But we don’t want to show false hope to people. Our institute is imparting world class level of training. Because of the training standards, trainees coming out of NUSI Maritime Academy and the T.S.Rehman always have better chances in getting the job onboard Indian and foreign flagships.

Jobships.com : What could be the possible solution to sort out this unemployment issue of Indian crews?

Mr. Serang : More emphasize should be given on technical ground not only on just academic base. There may be some people that are very good in welding, fitting but only 10th pass. So, there should be some facilities for these technically qualified people like pump-man, motor-man, fitter etc. We are going to emphasize on this matter very soon. I hope, it will be a much better way to balance with the present situation.

Another thing, I have been saying many times very openly, is that there are hundreds of Indian seafarers going to institutes out of India like UK, Singapore, Australia. There must be some lacking in our examination set up, for which seafarers are not appearing for exams over here. They are coming out with qualifications and certificates and companies are also employing them. Companies never ask them whether they have done their courses in India or outside. They want only qualification. So, something needs to be done on this matter.

The DGS also recently come out with some guidelines that ratings can also become officer, which was there in earlier. These activities can be put in place again.

Now things are moving positively. We are also launching some schemes for the ratings who want to become officers. Our union is going to help them financially or in other way. Conversion courses are also going to be introduced. That is how industry is going to get the prospective officers.

Jobships.com : Seafaring is becoming the less attractive profession in last few years. What should industry do to make it attractive? As a seamen representative org, are you doing something to make it attractive?

Mr. Serang: The only way is to create awareness. We celebrate National Maritime Day on 5th April each year. Common Public is not aware of it. There has to be more concentrate efforts. Awareness should not be a ritual one.

There are also needs to tap the interior India. We have to project the potentiality of seafaring jobs. As compared to other shore jobs, seafaring is a far better job. It won’t be right to say that people are not adopting seafaring, but more awareness is needed.

We can tap the schools. We can offer career guidance program in schools to attract the 10th standard pass outs. No doubt, this is a very god job, only thing we need to do is to project this job more attractively in front of common people.

Jobships.com: Would you like to convey any message to the seafarers through Jobships.com?

Mr. Serang: Yes, I would like to say that seafaring is perfectly right profession to choose. But, it’s only for those who want to strive for their own betterment. Seafarers should have a proper attitude for this profession. So, I advice all seafarers as well as ‘would-be’ seafarers to perceive a proper attitude and zeal for this profession.