Chairman’s Report 04/05

April 15th, 2005 by JCB
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CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

 

It was with sadness that we received the news of Lord James Callaghan’s death.

Lord Callaghan was the President of our Association from 1963 until 1976 when he was the MP for Cardiff South East. Lord Callaghan oversaw the introduction of the PNPF in 1971, the Steering Committee on Pilotage (SCOP) and was a true friend to pilots during his tenure as President.

We offer our heartfelt condolences to his family.

DfT

The PMSC Compliance Working Group continues to meet, overseeing the Pilots National Occupation Standards, VTS Policy Steering Group, the Compliance Assurance of the PMSC and Pilots Assessment Criteria. The lack of progress that is being made towards producing a pilot’s qualification has been expressed at these meetings. The Warsash Maritime Centre has presented a report to the DfT entitled ‘Pilotage Assessment Criteria’ that proposes changes in relation to the knowledge components of the NOS and the UKMPA has responded to their document. A copy of our response is available to any member on request. It is apparent that certain organizations are trying to ‘muddy the waters’, especially the outstanding issue of PEC standards that the DfT fully support.

The ‘Port Safety Bill’ presented to parliament by the DfT was not accepted for consideration but will be presented again when the opportunity arises following the election. A 1^st draft of our proposed amendments to the 1987 Pilotage Act has been completed and this will be discussed at the May Section Committee meeting and debated at the IDM.

Working Time Regulations (WTR)

The Chairman of CHIRP, Professor Tony Nicholson, has called for a study into fatigue in the Maritime and Ports Industry.  He has appointed Professor Mike Barnett (Board member of CHIRP) to head this study. Mike is Head of the Department for Human Resources at the Southampton Institute. I will be involved with Mike on this study. At a meeting he attended recently at the MCA he was informed that the Health and Safety Branch is overseeing a project studying fatigue.

The DfT, Ports Division (the Shipping Minister) and the T&G (Tony Woodley) are in correspondence regarding the WTR and its impact on tugs crews and Pilots.  The legal department of the DTI is studying pilotage and the WTR but have yet to make a statement on their findings.  I have secured the facility, through Mike Powell, Director Maritime CHIRP to have any pilots roster arrangements put into the Quiniteq fatigue management computer programme for appraisal if you so wish.  Please note that the same procedure of confidentiality will operate as in the case of CHIRP reports.

The UKMPA through Richard Wild, Harwich and Deputy Representative, has started a dialogue with the British Airline Pilots Association regarding working practices and fatigue. Richard will be reporting on any meetings he has with the Airline pilots and will take a cautious approach.

Questions were asked to HMG in the House of Lords regarding the responsibility of PECs, promulgation of shoal soundings and the PMSC working group in order to quote the response to Districts experiencing problems. It is pleasing to note that in all cases it has had the desired effect.

LEGAL

At a meeting recently organized by the T&G and UKMPA between the Wisbech Pilots and Fenland District Council a satisfactory conclusion was reached regarding outstanding contractual financial issues. A further meeting has been arranged for the 25^th of April to discuss amendments and updating of the contract.  Belfast, Orkneys and SE Wales are still involved in solving contractual issues. The T&G are involved in Belfast and ‘Blake Lapthorn Linnell’ is working with the Orkney and SE Wales Pilots.

EUROPE

The UK government takes over the

Presidency of the EU in the second half of this year. In recent statements by HMG it is obvious that they are wholeheartedly supporting the EU liberalization of the Transport sector. This fills me with foreboding when considering our stance on the EUPP (2). EMPA has been invited to a public meeting on the proposed EUPP (2) to be held on the 14^th of June to present our position; namely our opposition to the inclusion of pilotage as a commercial operation in the directive.

ETCS

Attempts are being made to curtail this project at the AGM in Poland in June by the Dutch and German Associations. This will have to be opposed if we wish the project to be completed to the level that we wish to present to the EU Commission. We need a safeguard in place to counter attempts by member states to lower the standards of a pilot’s qualification. The activities of certain organizations involved in the PMSC Compliance Working Group leave no doubt this.

MarNIS

This project is underway and the second meeting was held recently in Oslo. The work package for each participating country has been established and tasks have been consigned to the ‘expert pilots’.  Joe Wilson has taken over as our lead ‘expert pilot’ on the project.

CHIRP

This confidential reporting system is dealing with many reports and pilots are raising issues on a regular basis. When you have tried every avenue to resolve an issue, without success, contact CHIRP.

To conclude on a good note, Geoff Taylor informs me that IMPA has secured agreement at the recent IALA meeting that SBP (Shore Based Pilotage) will not form part of any document or philosophy that is forthcoming from IALA. I will offer a prize to the first member to identify the next attempt at introducing it in a new guise from our friends in London.

Captain LG Cate

Chairman, UKMPA