Still Waiting over 3 months later...

[Anonymous Cadet]

So I finished my phase 3 at the start of April, thinking i'd get away to sea quicker than i did last time (2.5 months)... I'm starting to realise that was probably very naive of me.

I've now been waiting 3.5 months to get a ship and everytime I call my company I get the same, blatently scripted answer of "we've heard nothing i'm afraid, but a few cadets went last month which is looking positive!" but the bottom line is, this does not mean i'll be getting away shortly at all, it simply means a few cadets joined a ship. I'm becoming very concerned and frustrated, I feel like its my career taken out of my hands and pushed into the bottom of a tray and there is nothing I can do. I'm constantly calling the training company in question and I've called the college on a few occasions to no avail and i'm out of ideas, short of going out to 'bite the hand that feeds'.

So my question is, has anyone been in this situation before, or know of someone who has and what did they do, if anything, to sort it out?

Thanks

[size4riggerboots]

Eeesh thats harsh Are you with a specific sponsor or with an "umbrella" organisation? (I quite understand you not wanting to identify them by name).

[Unregistered]

Eeesh thats harsh Are you with a specific sponsor or with an "umbrella" organisation? (I quite understand you not wanting to identify them by name).

Yeah, its an 'Umbrella' Organisation. I've thought of skipping the middle-man and contacting the sponsor direct, but figured it could get me into a spot of bother as we've been told not to. As far as i'm aware i'm not the only one with this sponsor who is still waiting aswell.

[GuinnessMan]

Yeah, its an 'Umbrella' Organisation. I've thought of skipping the middle-man and contacting the sponsor direct, but figured it could get me into a spot of bother as we've been told not to. As far as i'm aware i'm not the only one with this sponsor who is still waiting aswell.

Depending on organisations depends on how things will go. If you want, you can PM me and I can try point you in the right direction as I had something similar and basically just rang both Sponsor's agent and CMT on alternate days....

[Midge]

There was a post similar thing last May. I had a search, in fact I'm sure it's happened a few times that I can recall, not that it helps you.
I sincerely hope you get a ship soon, I'm sure the waiting gets you down. They do make a contract with you, so they do have an obligation to complete their side.

[Polaris]

Just make sure CMT or SSTG are fully aware of the situation.

[Unregistered]

Yeah, Thanks GM, i'll drop you a line.

Last year there was someone from my group wait 4 months and is now having to spend a straight 10 months onboard to try and catch up which I don't think is right. From what I understand from speaking to the training company, it is the sponsor company failing to get cadets away, claiming they have no berths yet I was speaking to an officer from my last ship on fb and he says the ship he is on now has 2 berths free. I honestly don't have a clue whats going on and the training company wont give me anymore information, or seemingly even do more than send a fortnighly email to the sponsor.

[GuinnessMan]

Responded to your PM bud.

One thing I did think of, but should be for a group discussion is, do you reckon it's asking the TO about lodging an official complaint? I reckon someone may not be talking to the right someone somewhere (1 to 2 months, berthing issues, more than that, is something odd) and official complaint may sort it out.

[Unregistered]

I'm in the same position as you. The training company seem to be unable to do anything. I dont want to identify myself or the company directly for obvious reasons. Im now at the point where fellow 1st phase cadets have been away over 2 months as I wait around. I dont want to speak to them directly as "I'm just one of many". I bet they have taken on a new group of cadets for this years intakes to be in the same position for years to come. I sympathise with you as it's a joke to give someone a contract with start and end dates and consistently break it.
Hopefully one of the more experienced members can shed some light on how to resolve it.

[Unregistered]

Responded to your PM bud.

One thing I did think of, but should be for a group discussion is, do you reckon it's asking the TO about lodging an official complaint? I reckon someone may not be talking to the right someone somewhere (1 to 2 months, berthing issues, more than that, is something odd) and official complaint may sort it out.

Thanks GM. Yeah, It is a option that i'm thinking of... but as the other anonymous guy said, You don't want to speak to them knowing that you are just going to, effectively, get fobbed off.
As an update, I called the training company again this morning and had a more in depth conversation with my TO, they tell me that they are also very concerned and they are emailing them and calling them, and I quote... "every other day". I told the TO that while I understand it is not their fault, more should be done than intermittent contact, they need to put the pressure on.
At the moment, my thought is to contact the union, but I know I should take a deep breath, step back and assess it first as I'm still wound up from the phone call. But either way having also been told this morning that there are still 6 cadets waiting to go, I can't help but think that 1, this is going to get worse before it gets better and 2, maybe the previous anon poster is with the same sponsor company...

[Unregistered]

We probably are. Is it a large container company based overseas? Sud, NYK, Oocl or Evergreen by any chance? If it is I can guess which one.

[Unregistered]

We probably are. Is it a large container company based overseas? Sud, NYK, Oocl or Evergreen by any chance? If it is I can guess which one.

Seems you aren't within the same circle then surprisingly, though from what I've also heard I can guess which one you are with. I was thinking of a Bulk company based in southern asia with a very misleading name... But what this does highlight is the fact that there are many companies that don't keep to their side of the contract, and that there are many of us that have next to no control over our careers... If only there was something that could be done.
Fingers crossed that all of us in this position actually get somewhere soon and get through our cadetships without these continuing problems.