Dear seafarer colleagues,
Today is the Day of the Seafarer, a day to celebrate and reflect on the profession, the working conditions, and the safety of our seafarers. This year, the International Maritime Organization has dedicated the day to the theme “Fair future for seafarers” to highlight issues that will be relevant for seafarers also after the pandemic.
You are at the core of our operations, and your welfare is instrumental for our company, today and in the future.
The pandemic has brought about challenging working conditions for seafarers, yet with your professionalism, dedication and loyalty, our ships continue to sail, worldwide, 24/7. In addition to difficulties with crew change, port access and repatriation, you face other intricate challenges that do not get much public attention, like renewals of certificates and licenses, training requirements, travel restrictions, and mandatory quarantines. On top of these, you have families back home to care for, and your own physical and mental health to maintain.
Yet you rise above these challenges. When the company ask for your help by extending your contract, cutting your vacation short or prolonging it a bit, you step up. You keep our ships safe, transport our customers’ products, and help sustain world trade. When we have our own Covid situations to deal with, you handle it in the most impressive way.
All these remarkable deeds are truly appreciated. Odfjell is fortunate to have each and every one of you. Thank you for everything that you do, from putting on complete personal protective equipment before you begin any task, to ensuring that your ship’s cargo is delivered on spec, on time.
Let me also express my gratitude to your family members, and thank them for their unconditional support:
Many thanks for trusting that we have done, and continue to do, everything we can to protect the welfare of our seafarers. We are as fortunate as they are to have you as family. Please continue to take care of yourselves, maintain distance and practice good hygiene – stay safe.
The pandemic situation unfolds differently around the world, but I would like to believe that we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. As countries reopen, we continue to make progress both with crew changes and with our vaccination program for seafarers. As new Covid mutants surface, we continue to strengthen our already robust procedure for keeping our ships safe, and for handling Covid on board.
You are in the front line, and the shore organization is here to offer you the support you need.
Right now, we have colleagues in Bahrain that are heavily hit by the virus. My thoughts and prayers are with them every day. Rest assured that we work 24/7 to make sure we do everything we can to provide the best care, assistance and medical treatment for our colleagues. I am impressed with how they all handle this extreme challenge, and to see the warming support they receive from colleagues onboard and ashore.
As we prepare for a post-pandemic industry, we look forward to working with you to keep improving, keep building a sustainable, thriving company, and, – last but not least – keep focusing on safety as our number one guiding principle.
Take care of yourselves, and of each other.
Thank you. Tusen takk. Maraming salamat po. Happy Day of the Seafarer!
Kristian Mørch
CEO
