Seafarers’ families urged to keep documents handy for potential issues

Captain Soe Min Aung, president of the Myanmar Seafarers Federation (MSF), suggested that the family should take the documents related to the seafarer so that if there is any problem, it will be more convenient for the benefits and entitlements.
Many families that cannot even answer the shipping line and job position of the sailor are found when asking for help due to injury or death, he said.
“Whether it’s a sailor’s death or injury, every time the family comes to contact us, the sad thing is that when we ask them which shipping line their husband, son or brother got onboard and what is his position, a large percentage of them can’t answer. Recently, two families came and consulted with us, and they didn’t have any copies of the relevant documents,” he said.
On MSF’s Facebook page, families are informed to keep the relevant documents before the seafarers go on board. If any problems arise, they can rely on these documents to claim the benefits and protection they deserve.
“A family should keep all related documents of a sailor, either a husband or a son, before he gets onboard. That makes the protection easier if anything happens. If they don’t have such a thing, they can ask for copies from the licensed representative who sent the sailor.
They must have copies to talk with ship owners. Or to submit to the Department of Marine Administration. It is challenging to find a clue in some cases,” he added. — MT/ZN