World first for Chinese ship recycling yard:

China's Jiangmen Zhongxin Shipbreaking & Steel Co., Ltd. has received the world's first Statement of Compliance for Ship Recycling Facility. Issued by ClassNK, the Statement of Compliance (SOC) certifies that the facility and its recycling procedures are fully in compliance with the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009 (Hong Kong Convention).

The SOC was officially presented to Zhongxin's Director, Mr. Liang by ClassNK Executive Vice President Toshitomo Matsui (left in photo) prior to ClassNK's Ship Recycling Seminar held in Tokyo this week, which drew more than 300 representatives from Japan's shipowning community.

This is the first time that a ship recycling yard has achieved certification in line with the convention.

Established in 1984, Zhongxin has grown to become one of the largest ship recycling facilities in China, with a working yard occupying over 400,000 square meters and an annual ship breaking capacity of over 500,000 LDT.

The yard has been a pioneer in green ship recycling, and earned recognition as an "AAAA" level Green Shipbreaking Enterprise from the China National Ship Recycling Association (CNSA) for its safe and environmentally sound ship recycling practices.

Green ship recycling has become an important issue in the maritime industry, especially following the adoption of the Hong Kong Convention. In addition to growing concerns about corporate social responsibility, new local and international regulations are helping drive the demand for high quality ship recycling facilities that can recycle vessels in an environmentally friendly and safe manner.

After a thorough review of the Ship Recycling Facility Plan (SRFP) developed by Zhongxin with the assistance of Wilhelmsen Ship Management, ClassNK, working as a third party certification body, confirmed that the recycling practices of the yard were in compliance with the Hong Kong Convention, and issued the world's first SOC to the recycling yard.

Source: marinelog, 14 December 2012

http://marinelog.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3339:world-first-for-chinese-ship-recycling-yard&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=195

Financing system proposed for environmentally sound shipbreaking

The European Parliament's Environment Committee will hold a first exchange of views this week on the proposed Ship Recycling Regulation. A financing system to support safe shipbreaking activities is among the main changes to the European Commission's proposal put forward in a draft report by the rapporteur for this legislative project, Swedish MEP Carl Schlyter (Green Party).

Mr Schlyter wants to introduce the financing system as an incentive to encourage dismantling of ships in facilities operating in an environmentally sound and safe manner, which currently face a competitive disadvantage due to the "extreme externalisation of costs" in the sector.

Source: EUWID. 27 November 2012

http://www.euwid-recycling.com/news/business/single/archive/2012/november/Artikel/financing-system-proposed-for-environmentally-sound-shipbreaking.html

PRESS RELEASE – EU JEOPARDIZES JOBS BY EXPORTING END-OF-LIFE VESSELS: INDUSTRY CALLS TO PROMOTE GREEN SHIP RECYCLING IN EUROPE

Industry calls to promote green ship recycling in Europe

Ship recyclers based in the EU are concerned that the future European regulation on ship recycling will divert even more end-of-life vessels to Asia and hamper their business instead of keeping this valuable stream inside the EU, according to a common Statement of Concern signed by major European ship recyclers and released today by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. Addressed to the European Parliament and to EU Member States, the statement[1] calls on decision-makers to take into account the ship recycling capacity offered by European facilities rather than brush them off as not sufficient and leave the gates open for end-of-life vessels full of hazardous materials to be exported to developing countries.

Every year, about 1,000 ocean-going ships are sent for recycling, most of which end up on the beaches of South Asia. Shipbreaking in developing countries leads to disastrous environmental pollution and is often done in extremely dangerous working conditions.

“Keeping end-of-life vessels in the EU would ensure that hazardous waste in their structure – such as asbestos – is properly managed and that workers’ rights are protected”, says Patrizia Heidegger, Executive Director of the Platform. “We expect the EU to create sustainable jobs in green ship recycling facilities in Europe by guaranteeing a steady supply of end-of-life vessels to European ship recyclers”.

In its proposal for a regulation on ship recycling, the European Commission argued that European end-of-life vessels were exported to South Asia because capacities within the EU and the OECD would not suffice. However, the Commission failed to take into account facilities in Canada, the US, Mexico, and Turkey. A recent report[2] published by the Platform shows that all EU-flagged ships could be recycled in OECD facilities, without having to send them to the beaches of South Asia.

“The capacity for safe and environmentally sound ship recycling is here – it is a question of political will to demand and promote green ship recycling in Europe”, says Patrizia Heidegger.

Tomorrow, the European Parliament’s Environment Committee will be debating the Commission Proposal and the draft report by rapporteur Carl Schlyter MEP. Schlyter’s draft report[3], which was made public last week, supports the development of EU ship recycling capacity through a funding mechanism. This would be an incentive for shipowners calling at EU ports to recycle their ships in an environmentally sound and safe manner. Currently, European facilities can hardly compete with the prices offered to shipowners by sub-standard shipbreaking yards in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform and Greenpeace EU Unit support this funding mechanism in their joint position paper on the European Commission Proposal[4]. The Platform is currently working on a survey that will detail how such a mechanism could work.

NOTES:

[1] The signed statement of concern is available here: http://bit.ly/V5OZHL

[2] The report “Industrial Capabilities of North America: A report on “green ship recycling in the United States, Canada and Mexico” is available here: http://bit.ly/T6wOSJ

[3] The draft report by Carl Schlyter MEP on the European Commission’s proposal for a ship recycling regulation is available here: http://bit.ly/Tj6kNh

[4] The joint position paper on the Commission’s proposal published by the Platform and Greenpeace EU Unit is available here: http://bit.ly/TGKbKi

CONTACT:

NGO Shipbreaking Platform

www.shipbreakingplatform.org

Patrizia Heidegger

Executive Director

patrizia@shipbreakingplatform.org

+32 2 6094 419

Roberto Ferrigno

Policy Adviser

roberto@shipbreakingplatform.org

+32 497 43 36 88

Source: Shipbreaking Platform. 27 November 2012

http://www.shipbreakingplatform.org/press-release-eu-jeopardizes-jobs-by-exporting-end-of-life-vessels-industry-calls-to-promote-green-ship-recycling-in-europe/

International Treaty Obligations on Dismantling of Toxic Ships

The Government has taken a number of steps to ensure environmental protection due to any damage caused by shipbreaking in the country, which include:

Ship recycling activity in India is regulated as per the directions of Supreme Court given in Writ Petition (Civil) No.657 of 1995. Verification of hazardous materials/wastes on board the ship, by way of inspection of ship, is done at anchoring stage by State Maritime Board, State Pollution Control Board and the Customs Department. Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation (PESO) for petroleum tankers/chemicals tankers and Atomic Energy Regulatory Board for war ships, atomic nuclear powered vessels, naval vessels, etc., grant necessary permissions after inspection at anchorage.

The State Maritime Boards issue beaching permission as per the laid down procedure. The following certification/clearances are required prior to issue of breaking permissions for any ship by the State Maritime Board:

(a) Gas free certificate being issued by the Inspector of Explosives.

(b) Decontamination Certificate from State Pollution Control Board.

(c) License issued by Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health, State Government.

In May, 2009, IMO has adopted the Hong Kong International Convention on Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships. The Government of India has not yet ratified the Convention.

The above information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests, Shrimati Jayanthi Natarajan to the Parliament.

Source: 7 December 2012

http://investinindia.com/news/international-treaty-obligations-dismantling-toxic-ships-12c3

3 Year Struggle Leads to Compensation for Deceased Workers:

3 Year Struggle for Shipbreaking Workers

A three-year struggle by IndustriALL and its affiliates in India recently resulted in families of deceased shipbreaking workers receiving compensation and the further strengthening of the union in the shipbreaking yards in Alang.

Prior to 2003 Deceased Workers Tossed Into Sea

When the shipbreaking organizing project started in 2003, led by one of IndustriALL’s founding organizations (the International Metalworkers’ Federation), it was of common knowledge among the locals that whenever a shipbreaking worker was killed on the job the body was unceremoniously tossed into the sea. As most of the workers are undocumented migrant workers, no one ever bothered to ask any questions, search for the families or make any demand against the employer. That was before the workers had a union.

In the video “Into the Graveyard” produced in 2010 by the IndustriALL affiliate leading the project work, the Mumbai Port Trust & Dock & General Workers Union, Vidyadhar Rane, secretary general of the shipbreaking workers' union tells the poignant story of six workers killed in an incident in Alang shipbreaking yard in August 2009. Two of the workers were from Uttar Pradesh, the four others were from one family from Piperla Village in Gujarat, 3km away from the yard.

Unwavering Tenacity and Committment

The union, the Alang Sosiya Ship Recycling and General Workers' Association (ASSRGWA), took the case to the highest levels of justice, demanded a special enquiry and for the first time ever in the history of Alang, obtained financial compensation for the 6 workers deaths. It took the union three more years of unwavering tenacity and commitment to finally obtain, in September 2012, a monthly pension from the Provident Fund for the widows and family of the workers from Piperla Village.

Recently, a union delegation from Alang and Mumbai in India and IndustriALL Head & Regional Offices and Bondgenoten/FNV Mondiaal from the Netherlands met with the families of shipbreaking workers that died in August 2009 to hand over the precious documents that entitle the families to a pension.

The international union delegation came directly from the IndustriALL project evaluation and planning meeting, which took place nearby in Bhavnagar. The meeting examined the recommendations made by an external evaluator for the FNV Mondiaal and the possibilities to continue supporting the organizing drive in Alang.

Union Consists of 10,000 Members and Growing

The shipbreaking workers’ union in Alang now counts around 10,000 members, out of an average of 40,000-50,000 workers, and the union in Mumbai more than 3,500 workers.

Every year, the union has grown and gained major achievements for the workers, including:

●    Recognition of ShipBreaking as a scheduled industry, thus allowing workers to claim minimum wages,

●      Access to drinking water in the yards,

●      The introduction of personal protective equipment, and

●      Securing compensation, social security benefits  and pension for families whenever possible.

One of the major challenges that remain ahead is how to create a tripartite structure to engage in social dialogue to improve overall working conditions in the shipbreaking yards.

As in Alang the Shipbreaking Employers each rent their plots, which can occupy between 50 to 2,000 workers and as they draw upon some 182 contractors to provide cheap labour, the union currently needs to fight case by case, plot by plot, and cannot bargain collectively to overall improve the horrendous working conditions on the yard.

Source: By ReduceYourWorkersComp. 6 December 2012

http://www.workerscompensation.com/compnewsnetwork/workers-comp-blogwire/15677-3-year-struggle-leads-to-compensation-for-deceased-workers.html