Oasis of the Seas leaving Rotterdam

[Hannes van Rijn]

Oasis of the Seas has just left the Cruise Terminal in Rotterdam, on here way to Southampton.

[Robert Smith]

It'll probably the last time we've seen her in Rotterdam for repairs or otherwise.
Before allowing her departure, the Dutch labour authority fined the owners

[Malim Sahib]

Or more likely the Dutch recognised that RCCL take advantage of their third world, low paid workers and fined them accordingly.

[Robert Smith]

Yes Malim, they did. And next, they refused working permits for 44 Philipino workers, forcing them to return back home. The fine is not for the benefit of the workers but for the benefit of the Dutch Labour authority.

[Malim Sahib]

So you'd rather port states simply ignored crews being taken advantage of? The fine is more about sending a message than simple financial gain.

[davidships]

The report that the Philipino workers were flown home as they had no work permits gives the game away.  This would not happen if they were genuine crew members, carrying out normal shipboard activity as they would be covered by the MLC and its own inspection regime under PSC.  This is different.

It seems that RCCL imported additional workers to carry out refit work - whether or not they temporarily added them to the crew rosters I have no idea - if they did, it would be to subvert normal immigration/work permit regulations that most countries have to prevent social dumping in the domestic economy.  RCCL were warned by the Dutch about this before they went there.  I bet they wouldn't try it back home in the US.

[Robert Smith]

I don't agree to dumping practices as far as labour is concerned. But the owners will not be deterred by such a fine. Next job will be no doubt be carried out in another port were rules and regulations are not strictly enforced. That's my point altogether. Keppel-Verolme will be the biggest loser as well as local labour....

[Fred Vloo]

The job was done within a very strickt time schedule. I bet that was more important then this 600K fine.