Status of Pilots: Finland 2005

Finnish pilots are employed as civil servants by the pilotage company, owned by the Ministry of Traffic and Communications until 28.of February 2005.  After that date the pilots are employees of the Finnpilot company.

Pilots are members of local associations, and they form the national Luotsiliitto- Lotsförbundet.  An annual congress is held, normally in April, where the president, vice-president and five members are elected to the Chamber (one from each district and one representing the VTS-operators).

Pilotage is compulsory for all  ships  with a certain length (60 m) and breath (10 meters).

The new pilotage act and law became valid 1.3.1998.

Pilotage tariffs are issued by the Ministry of Traffic and Communications through national Parliament.  Regulations concerning pilots training and health checks are now issued by the company.

Pilots are licensed by the districts of the Maritime Administation acting also as the surveilling body towards the pilotage.
Number of Pilots

Coastal pilots  150
Lake pilots       34
Canal pilots      17 (not members of Luotsiliitto)
VTS-operators  54  (members of Luotsiliitto).

Some 15 pilots are holders of a Baltic Sea Pilots' Licence issued by the Board of Navigation.

Minimum Qualifications
Coastal Pilots must hold Masters Certificate and the Lake Pilots minimum requirement is Chief Officers Certificate.  6 months training in the district + examination gives pilot licence for the certain fairways.  A four week "pilot course" arranged at the "Center for Maritime Studies" in Turku for now is also compulsory for the aspirants.

Retirement
Pilots employed before 1989 can retire at the age of 55, but 30 years service is required to get a full pension, which is 60 - 66 % of the final salary.
Pilots employed between 1989 an 1993 can retire at 63, and the 30 years rule is applicable also here.
New pilots (since 1994) must serve till 65 and get full pension (60 %) if they have  been pilots for 40 years!  This is of course an impossible equation, and work is presently going on to solve the problem.

Tariffs/Income
Finnish pilots have a basic salary added with an age bonus and some othe surpluses differing from station to station.  A mileage due, based on either "minimum distance" (< 15') or the real piloted distance, is also added with the Pilot´s working day compensation to reach the total income .
Pilotage fees collected from ships go to the district.
There are big differences in income between pilots stations ( from about 65 000 € to 90 000 € ), depending mostly on the traffic flow.  The other reasons to differences are under constant work of the Luotsiliitto.

Working hours
Pilots work a week on /week off systems, and most of the pilots are satisfied with the system.  We have negotiated a rest period of 8 hours or two times 5 hours within 24 hours.  Theoretical maximum of the working hours so calculated is 56 per week, but that can happen only in very special circumstances.  Pilots also take care of the watch keeping on some pilots stations, but that is ending soon.
Annual leave differs from 30 days to 45 days per year and it is held on top of the one/one working system.

Pilots Stations
There are 9 pilot stations with 7 side stations on the coast and 5 on the lakes.  Each pilot station has an "ålderman" , chief pilot, who is responsible for the station.  Boat drivers maintain the vehicles and pilot boats.

PECs
About 1030 PECs  are valid in Finnish waters.
PECs are granted to captains of  vessels over 1000 NRT not carrying dangerous or polluting goods (includes even empty tankers) on following conditions:

• a permission from the Authorities
  
• captain has to be "pilot for certain fairway"
  
• Pilot for certain fairway" -
• to get such a  licence  the captain has to:
• ake at least 10 training pilotage on the fairway  (passenger vessels 25 -50 pilotages)
• ass a written  examination .The examination includes filling out a blank map with all navigation details, e.g.  fairways, sea marks, light houses and buoys.
• ass a pilot examination under the surveillance of the representative of administration.
• PECs  are valid on a certain fairway.

                       
Medical Checks
Every second year pilots have to pass a medical examination, similar to seamen. The examination includes a common health check as well sight and hearing. Pilots elder than 50 years are checked even more serious.