A short time ago, Captain Bernt Arild Bertelsen worked in Norled in Stavanger on four different boats. Within one day. His story bears witness to the extraordinary situation the shipowners’ association is in. – At first I was on board here, but then I had to transfer to another boat because he who was the captain there had to step onto a new ship, Bertelsen calculates. So the day continued, so that four captains rotated from ship to ship to get the solitaire going up. – I’m glad I’m not sitting in the office with the responsibility of getting crew, says Bertelsen. Bertelsen is not allowed to sit still in the captain’s boat for long during the day. Photo: Odin Omland / news Shortage across the country Fjord1, which operates ferries and fast boats in Vestland and Møre og Romsdal, has exactly the same problem as Norled. They don’t have enough people. – In recent years, it has become more demanding. It is especially in the summer, if there is an urgent need for staffing, that it is a bigger challenge. Otherwise, we see that there are fewer applicants for vacant positions now than before, says director of operations André Høyset. André Høyset believes that there is definitely no quick solution to the manpower shortage. Photo: Fredrik Johan Helland / news There is no better story in the north. There have been extremely many cancellations on the only ferry connection on the E6 across the Tysfjord in Nordland. To get further north than this, you have to take a ferry across the fjord. The settings mean that NHO believes that the manpower shortage is simply dividing Norway in two. Bringing pensioners to work Many cruise tourists go on a trip to the Lysefjord and see the Pulpit from the sea. That is one reason why it is busy for the reiarlaga in Stavanger. In addition, the school has started up again, so that pupils have to be picked up and delivered to the many islands in the Ryfylke basin. Norled has all brought back able-bodied pensioners who are ready to work. – It wouldn’t have worked without us, says retired captain Jon Arne Helgøy. He does not see any quick solution to the manpower shortage either. On the contrary. – It gets worse every year. New employees are constantly reaching retirement age, he says. Pensioner and captain Jon Arne Helgøy welcomes the tourists in Stavanger on board. Photo: Odin Omland / news Cruise tourists account for a significant part of the boat traffic, which in turn contributes to the crew shortage. Photo: Odin Omland / news Many people around the bone Johnny Hansen heads the Seamen’s Association, which organizes around 10,000 seamen in Norway. – The biggest challenge is that there is a general appetite in the market, he says. The aquaculture industry has seen a sharp increase in turnover in recent years and has constantly set new records. It requires workers – often the same ones who would otherwise work on the ferries and fast boats. – There is no quick solution to this, says Johnny Hansen. Photo: Norwegian Seamen’s Association Hansen believes that the jobs in the farming industry are often better paid than on the ferries. According to him, the average age of seafarers is quite high, and it takes several years to educate and train new ones. There is no quick solution to the manpower shortage. The union leader hopes that a bill on secure pay and working conditions, which is now out for consultation, will encourage young people to invest in ferry jobs as well. – We need an assurance that seafarers will not be replaced in hard times, or that the crew on boats will be greatly reduced. The industry must invest in them, says Hansen. Norges Reiarforbund also knows that it is difficult to get crew. – We keep hearing from our members that there are recruitment challenges, especially within offshore. At times it is perceived as precarious to hold on and recruit sailors in particular, writes CEO Harald Solberg in an e-mail to news. Lure with bonus Jannecke Skjøld is head of Norled’s shipping of cruise tourists coming to Stavanger. – I have worked in the industry for 25 years. It has never been worse to find a crew to transport the tourists around, she says. Therefore, the company has come out with a promise of NOK 7,000 to employees who manage to get a new colleague. In addition, she struggles with a bad conscience for keeping employees away from their families. – If it doesn’t improve soon, we will soon have to buy spa packages for the wives, Skjøld asserts. Jannecke Skjøld organizes the queue of cruise tourists who want to go to Lysefjorden. Photo: Odin Omland / news
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Great shortage of seafarers – promising bonus of 7,000 for recruitment – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
