SERVICES
© Voyonic 2024 website designed & developed by Stratagem
We are pleased to announce that Voyonic Crewing Limited have successfully passed another audit from DNV-GL to verify the Company’s compliance to the DNVL-ST-0030 Parts I and II and MLC 2006 – 1.4.
Over a two day period the surveyor assessed the ability of the Voyonic Crewing Limited Quality Management System to meet the provisions of the standards and this included auditing 6 of our client companies (Branch Offices) as part of the process. The final outcome was a minor non-conformance and three observations which considering the complexity of the Voyonic operation is very good and we will now utilise these audit findings to further enhance our service levels.
The audit measures the company against the DNV-GL crew manning office (CMO) standard because the nature of our services provided to clients takes us beyond that of a normal Recruitment and Placement Services Company.
All of our client companies will shortly receive their own certificates of compliance and we thank them for their assistance during the audit process and of course helping us to maintain our standards of service at all times.
The UK Maritime Minister, Nusrat Ghani MP, launched the inaugural Maritime Safety Week on Monday, running from 9 to 13 July, as part of the government’s efforts to share knowledge of safety practices and to highlight the work which is already being done across the diverse shipping industry to strive for safety excellence.
As an island nation the UK has always depended on the seafarers, shipping and the wider maritime industry for prosperity, but safety isn’t just a concern for professional mariners who undertake their roles in what are often difficult and dangerous circumstances.
All users of the maritime environment, from recreational mariners to casual beach goers, need to understand the risks,’ the Minister explained.
The UK Department for Transport is requesting the industry’s help and has established Maritime Safety Week to provide an opportunity to share the wealth of knowledge, experience and best practice which the industry has and to increase the understanding of what the sector is already doing to respond to the safety challenges it faces as well as plans for the future.
In particular, the Department of Transport is seeking to stimulate conversations and make connections under the banner of the Maritime Safety Week logo, you can join in the conversation on Twitter using the hashtags: #maritimesafetyweek and #maritimesafetymatters. The department is also welcoming ideas, plans and initiatives from industry using the email address maritimesafety@dft.gov.uk.
The initiative has been praised by several maritime experts across the industry, as a focal point to recognise the contributions and celebrate success in the area of safety.
This move comes at a time when new innovations and conditions, such as vessel automation, create different hazards, redefining the safety scope for the maritime industry.
Voyonic Crewing Limited as the driving force behind the employment of thousands of UK and other nationality seafarers fully supports any initiative that can help improve the Safety of Life at Sea.
The French authorities have issued further clarification of the social security legislation that created such confusion amongst the yachting sector on the French coasts last year. The interpretation now is getting closer to that we are used to seeing in other jurisdictions and the shipyards of France will be particularly pleased with the exclusion of vessels undergoing maintenance. French shipyards have reportedly lost billions of € since the legislation came into force last year because yacht owners/managers specifically avoided using these facilities (as per this article).
Voyonic Crewing Limited and our partners Aspire Corporate Services Limited continue to monitor the situation and provide advice and support to our clients as we continue to navigate through the uncertainty brought about by last year’s announcements and confusion.
The attached news article recently published in the UK Daily Telegraph fairly accurately sums up the damage caused by a combination of fuel duty and Social Security changes within France.
Whilst yacht owners may be considered fair game by authorities they tend to be yacht owners because they are astute when it comes to finance. The fallout from the changes impacts more upon the local workforce and economy and perhaps other countries should take note when they considering targeting the wealthy.
Voyonic Crewing Limited continue to work with their clients and other interested parties to fight the legislation and persuade the authorities to withdraw the legislation and if necessary carry out a full consultation before changing the rules again. The damage has been done for this season but there is still a chance to stop long term damage to the South Coast of France and its economy.
On the 15th February 2007 a new company was incorporated in Guernsey the purpose of which was to deliver high quality employment solutions to the marine and other industry sectors. The company signed up their first client in April of that year rapidly followed by others – we still provide services to those early clients whom we have over the years developed close working and personal relationships with.
The stated aim of the company was the delivery of robust efficient employment solutions which were fully compliant with all appropriate tax and social security legislation and the operations were operated in accordance with the standards laid down in ISO9001.
Throughout the decade that followed the business continued to grow and continuously improve and because of its operating ethics continues to attract those discerning clients who are looking for a high quality robust service to support their own clients.
The company values its discretion and this is maintained by simply treating every client as the “only client”, confidentiality has been our watchword since day one – long before GDPR.
In 2015 there was a change of ownership of the business which also necessitated a change of name. For various reasons this change was carried out in a relatively short space of time and consequently the name given to the company was for practical rather than aesthetic reasons.
As we now reach the company’s 11th anniversary, the decision has been taken to address the name issue and so allow the company to develop strategically with a name chosen to show the company ambition and vision for the future.
Our new branding will be as VOYONIC and therefore with effect from the 21st of February CESG Limited will become Voyonic Crewing Limited.
The new brand name is designed to show our commitment to support our clients on their journey with the vibrancy that permeates throughout our organisation.
The logo that we have adopted is designed to show our commitment to the marine industry in particular and its shape is based upon a specific vessel hull form. The sharp eyed amongst you may notice that the globe built into the design contains a single red dot which signifies our head office in Guernsey.
We will be rolling out our new branding over the coming weeks and would certainly value any feedback that you might have on our new look.
On 27th October 2017, an amendment to the existing Decree 307-2017 was passed, so that seafarers liable to French social security are now given the option to use a private scheme which will replace the liability to register with French authorities, as long it was at least equal to the cover provided by ENIM. However what exactly equal cover meant was not immediately clarified.
An explanatory note included with the amendment stated:
“This amendment provides that the seafarers concerned will be affiliated to the French social security scheme unless they provide proof of at least equivalent social protection.
Seafarers already affiliated to a French social security scheme remain affiliated to this scheme, unless specifically requested by them and provided that they are covered by equivalent social protection.”
In short from 1 January 2018 seafarers may be considered outside the scope of the Decree if they are already in a scheme which offers equivalent cover to that in Article L 111-1 of the Social Security Code. Furthermore, seafarers who are already enrolled into the French scheme may request to opt out and take private cover but otherwise will remain affiliated.
Employer must now consider the following matters:
1. The wishes of the crew: it seems possible most crew will prefer private cover to enrolment in a national scheme, especially if they are not French citizens or long-term French residents, due to issues of transferability of benefits, building up entitlement etc. Equally some may prefer to remain in a national scheme.
2. The “dis-enrolment” of any crew already in the French system who now wish to have private cover
3. Where private schemes are taken out, ensure they are:
A. Providing equivalent coverage to that under the French law
B. Cost-effective
C. Interplay properly with any existing insurance coverage
D. Are otherwise legally robust.
There is at least one company of which we are aware who have stated they have a product that will fulfil this need. There may also be some national schemes where voluntary enrolment will provide the cover required.
Voyonic are conducting our own discussions with providers and our advisors at this time, to ensure that we can get the best deal for our clients and employees, whilst ensuring legislation is complied with.
We will also be discussing with clients the employment aspects of using this “third option” versus a national mandatory one – how this should be written into employment terms, how crew are informed and updated etc.
As always everything we do will be in line with our values of high quality, best-in-class service and compliance with regulations. Whilst it may be tempting to rush into a course of action, we are firmly of the belief that caution is the “ounce of prevention” that saves a “pound of cure” – or in this case the thousands of pounds, euros or dollars that non-compliance could cost.
We will update further as the situation progresses.
NB: Employees not liable to French social security will remain responsible for registration and payment to their relevant social security scheme, in the absence of regulations to the contrary.
December payrolls are already being prepared and the year that was 2017 is fast disappearing.
Obviously the 10th anniversary party was the event of the year for Voyonic and we could not have asked for a better weekend for our guests and their partners to spend some time here with us in Guernsey. The weather was perfect and the setting for the event was amazing and of course it was a pleasure to welcome so many people here from all over the world.
On a less glamorous front, I think one of the dominant themes of 2017 has been the stop/start implementation of the French Social Security Decree that has caused so much confusion and damage amongst the French yachting sector, in particular to repair and refit facilities. It is to be hoped that some form of clarity will be arrived at in early 2018 before the next season gets underway. The whole situation was probably exacerbated by the amount of “fake news” that was in circulation, particularly earlier on in the year when “experts” were delivering proposed solutions to the wrong problem. As the saying goes act in haste and repent at your leisure. Fortunately with our sister company in Malta we are/and have been able to provide solutions to most problems arising as a result of this Decree.
Last year I mentioned electronic signatures and just as a brief note we are closer now to these been acceptable globally but one or two flag states appear to be holding off based largely upon the fact that Port State Inspectors don’t like e-signatures. Sounds like a training opportunity to me as the rest of the world goes about its business electronically?
2017 has seen the introduction of a new member into the Voyonic group of companies. For the past 10 years we have relied upon the services of third party Corporate Services Providers (CSP’s) although as global compliance requirements have increased we found ourselves dealing with 90% of the work on behalf of the CSP. It became readily apparent that our accounts, QMS and commercial teams contained people with the right competencies for compliance purposes and it was therefore a logical step to take this “in-house”.
Aspire Corporate Services Limited was established and on the 1st October began operations with a team of 8, soon to be 10 staff. The GFSC have issued the necessary licensing and so we are now able to ensure that our clients companies are fully compliant in all aspects of our business from the corporate services through to MLC 2006.
One of the crowning achievements of the year has been the recent awarding of the Investors in People Silver Award to the company. I will not go into detail here other than to say that the phrase “our people are our most important asset” really does apply to Voyonic. Our staff retention is second to none because we genuinely know the value of people to the business. I will let the assessor have the final word on the subject.
“Voyonic and Aspire have been accredited under the Investors in People framework since 2014, although this latest assessment presented particular challenges as the framework itself has changed. The company rose to the challenge remarkably well and not only achieved a further accreditation but provided enough evidence to warrant a Silver award. This is an amazing achievement for a small company and reflects a focus on developing its staff and making the most of the talent within the team. Staff are engaged and well-motivated and are dedicated to driving the success of the business. For me, this project was a pleasure to work on and everyone involved was very open and welcoming. I look forward to continuing to work with Voyonic and Aspire and wish them continued success.”
Looking ahead to next year all I can promise is that we shall, as a group of companies, continue to seek out new ways of improving our services to our clients. Our simple philosophy of treating every client as the only client will continue.
With the imminent arrival of GDPR we are already in a good position having been registered with the Data Protection Commission since day one. We have always ensured that we not only have the most advanced systems at our disposal but we ensure that every client has a separate database on our servers so that there can be no chance of data being accidentally “shared”. Our move to cloud technology two years ago has improved our security and operating efficiency and we continue to keep improving this.
The business pipeline is encouraging for the start of the New Year and we have already recruited and are training new staff to be able to deal with the anticipated increase in new business. One result of our operating methods is that forward planning is essential in order to allow time to train new staff.
There are already one or two major projects lined up for Voyonic in 2018, one of which will be announced in early February.
We look forward to the challenges that next year might bring and will continue to strive to be the very best in our field which is no more than our clients deserve.
Might I conclude by wishing everybody all the very best for Christmas and a healthy and happy 2018.
Neil Carrington
© Voyonic 2024 website designed & developed by Stratagem