Filipino seafarers likely to keep jobs on Japanese ships
The Japanese Shipping Association (JSA) announced that it likely to keep up its 40,000 Filipino seafarers despite the global economic crunch.
The JSA, those members operate more than 3,000 merchant ships of various categories ranging from bulkers to super tankers, said while some members are laying up ships as a cost-cutting measure, they are maintaining crews of their ships in anticipation of the earlier than expected end of the global crisis.
”The work force is being maintained in order to be ready as soon as cargo volume pick-up,” it said.
Recently, two Japanese shipping giants --Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and “K”-Line-- announced that it will hiring more Filipino seamen to man their ships.
”K”-Line shipping will be hiring around 3,200 officers and sailors for its shipping expansion where around 280 vessels will be joining its fleet of 420 ships within the next four years.
While MOL is planning to increase the number of Filipino sailors in its employ from 14,000 to 17,800 this year.
MOL said the proposed increase in RP sailor employment is based on the company’s plan to increase its current fleet from 700 ships to 900 vessels by 2010.