Navigating Uncertainty: Exploring Future Perspectives on Precarious Employment in the Shipping Industry

This paper focuses on the dynamics of precarious employment within the global shipping industry, examining the historical and contemporary factors that have led to the current state of workforce vulnerability. Analyzing the experiences of seafarers from diverse roles and backgrounds, the paper explores the industry’s shift towards flexible employment practices, underscored by the ‘flagging out’ process and the rise of temporary contracts. The impact of globalization, containerization, and the changing labor supply of seafarers is discussed. Additionally, the paper considers the evolving mindset in the industry that has long relied on an ‘endless supply’ of seafarers. The concept of structural power is introduced as a lens to understand seafarers’ bargaining position within the economic system of the global shipping industry, highlighting the interconnectedness of historical transformations, labor market developments, and seafaring working conditions. Several recommendations are made at the end of the paper to address current practices in the global shipping industry.