‘The entire industry lifted to a higher level’
Joop van Oord, retired FNV active trade unionist
Joop van Oord gave safety training to shipbreakers in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan
Prior expectations
Especially curious about the shipbreaking conditions
‘I did not know what to expect, and mainly went along because I was curious about the shipbreaking conditions in India. I wanted to see for myself how things were done there and whether my knowledge and experience could be useful. It was an opportunity to contribute something, but I did not expect it to become such a major project. The first time I visited a shipyard, I was astonished by their chaotic way of dismantling ships and by how dangerous their working conditions were. However, I immediately saw possibilities to change things. On the first evening, we sat at the bar with a few colleagues and decided that safety would be a neutral topic to bring about change without any direct political fuss.’
Biggest obstacle
Getting people to talk
‘The biggest obstacle was getting people to talk. They were not used to criticising, particularly not in their work situation. It took time and patience to gain their trust and get them to share their stories and problems. We really had to find a way to loosen them up, and that was difficult.’
Breakthrough moments
Pressure from Europe and our focus on safety
‘There were actually two key breakthrough moments. The first was the pressure from Europe to improve shipyards. This forced companies to take actual steps. The other breakthrough moment was when we focused on safety as an issue. Everyone could support that without political problems. It gave us a neutral base to work from, and ensured that training was widely accepted.’
Personal contribution
Developing training courses and methods
‘I mainly developed training courses and methods aimed at making people there work better and safer. I focused on safety, team building, and improving work practices. The traditional teaching methods in India, however, did not match what we are used to. There everybody sits still and listens during class. So I developed a programme based on interaction, practical examples, and observation. To see whether my approach would work, I first tested this method on people who had recently obtained Dutch citizenship here in the Netherlands. It turned out to be a hit. To make people more comfortable, I developed a simple introduction exercise where everybody introduced themselves as an animal that fitted their character. This broke the ice, sparked a lot of fun and discussion, and got them talking.’
Effect of the Hong Kong Convention
The entire industry lifted to a higher level
‘What once started as simple work for people without many options has now become a real profession. The Hong Kong Convention and training have helped to professionalise shipbreaking. While ships were demolished without any protection in the past, you now see workers wearing safety equipment, and the whole ship demolition environment is much safer. The convention also resulted in increasingly more green shipyards where ships are demolished in a safe and clean manner. It has lifted the entire industry to a higher level, which is great to see.’
‘I’ll never forget the relief on his face’
A special moment was when one of the participants approached me during a break in a safety training course. He told me that he had been wrongly accused of causing an explosion at work. While cutting holes in a ship to remove waste, suddenly there was a big explosion due to gas formation. Together with Ruud van den Bergh, a trade union official with FNV Metaal and former ship’s engineer, who was my co-trainer, we were able to make a quick analysis and demonstrate that the explosion had not been the worker’s fault. I’ll never forget the relief on his face. This shows how important it is to give people the right information and learn to look at accidents in an objective and analytical manner. These moments are worth their weight in gold because you feel you are really making a difference.