CENTER OF THE RIGHTS OF THE MARINE
BARCELONA

C.D.M. is a department of the DIOCESAN DELEGATION OF THE APOSTOLATE OF
MAR (A.O.S.) in Barcelona.

Committee:
President: Ricardo Rodríguez-Martos, as Diocesan Delegate of the AOS
Director: Domingo González
Members: Alejandro Saez and Rafael de Muller
The three lawyers are volunteers
Hours: Monday through Friday from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the building of Stella Maris
In case of urgency, there is always someone available
CDM – Barcelona: what is it and what is its objective?
CDM is an AOS department in Barcelona, ​​which works with some autonomy.
It was created as a special service, made up of professionals capable of negotiating and
Represent and defend the seafarers at the civil and legal level.
One of the most important issues that were raised initially was to decide if it were
It considered it necessary to organize a team of own lawyers, since in Barcelona
There are several lawyers specializing in maritime law, as well as unions and one
inspector of the ITF.
However, experience tells us that the seafarers are used to contacting
We at the end of the afternoon, when it is not possible to locate them anymore
lawyer and, often, not an ITF inspector. On the other hand, many of them
Issues raised require, apart from legal treatment, sensitivity and prudence
specials
Another important issue, which was taken into account when creating the center was the
Need for a maritime legal assistance center that could also advise others
centers of the apostolate of the sea, elaborate reports, organize conferences, etc.
On the other hand, the maritime lawyers are seen many times involved in the
It defends the interests of the shipowners and sometimes it can cost them to be located in the place of
helpless crew
For all this, it was clear from the beginning that the CDM should not be confused with the
unions or with a law firm, but should be a center of lawyers whose
The objective was to seek the best way to defend the rights of the seafarers,
Listen to them by understanding their fears, advising them, with enough capacity to
bring a case to the courts, if necessary, or, depending on the circumstance, refer it
subject to unions or other lawyers.
Since the problems originate internationally, especially the
Concerning flags of convenience and seafarers from third world countries,
and that the defense of their rights and the legal procedures are different in the different ones countries and ports, the CDM saw the importance of establishing connections international.The first team was constituted by: Emilio Blanch, as Director
Alejandro Sáez
Other lawyers collaborated with the center sporadically.
In May 1991 the CDM organized the 1st Seminar on the Rights of the Marines
in Barcelona, ​​with the participation, among others, of:
Henk Huibers, MOU – Permanent Secretariat of the MOU (Memorandum of
Understanding) in Rotterdam
Paul Chapman and Douglas Stevenson, Center for Seafarers’ Rights of New York
José Carvajal, Director of the Technical Department of the Consular General Directorate and
Ships in Panama
Máximo Molinuevo, Coordinator of the MOU inspectors in Spain
Andreas Constantinou, Maritime Attaché of the Government of Cyprus in New York
Philip J. Loree, President of the Federation of the American Controlled Shipping (Facs) and
President of the Commission for Maritime Policy in Panama
Bjorn Klerk Nilssen, Head of the Maritime Industries Department at the ILO
José Sarmiento, Administrator of the POEA in the Philippines.
Seminars were attended by people from different Spanish regions, and from several
European countries.
The main theme of the seminar was the implementation of the MOU and the different responsibilities
from governments, port authorities, ship owners, unions, ILOs and countries
with flag of convenience.
1992: In March, the CDM had an office in the new Stella Maris building. Emilio
Blanch, the first director of the CDM, agreed to an official position and left the center. The new
team was constituted by:
Domingo González, new director and Christian Morrón, and Alejandro Sáez. The new office
It had a better location near the commercial port, and the CDM improved its presence in the
harbor
1994 – Attorney Rafael de Muller joined the CDM’s team of lawyers
1995 – Douglas Stevenson directed a workshop on rights of the sailors, in the
which was attended by the CDM team of attorneys and other Stella Maris collaborators at
Barcelona
1999 – Domingo González joined the ICMA delegation before the ILO.
2002 – Lawyer Christian Morrón left the center
The CDM at present
The law enforcement team is currently formed by Domingo González, director,
Rafael de Muller and Alejandro Sáez.
The center lends its support to all AOS centers in Spain and works, both locally
As a national, in close relationship with the ITF.
This was how the 1st International Seminar of Barcelona was organized in 1991
The Rights of the Marino tried to establish these contacts internationally.
Entities with which the CDM maintains a relationship:
Port Authority of Barcelona
Police of Barcelona
Solidarity Committee of the Port of Barcelona
Maritime Captainship and MOU Inspectors in Barcelona and Tarragona
Bar Association of Barcelona
Marina Social Institute – Madrid and Barcelona
Centers of the Apostolate of the Sea of ​​Spain
ANAVE – Association of Spanish Shipowners
Rosa dos Ventos Association – Vigo
ITF in London, Valencia and Barcelona
Center for Seafarers Rights in New York (CSR) (USA)
Mission de la Mer (France)
Services offered by the CDM
A.) Services offered directly to the seafarers:
– General legal advice in the office itself and, if necessary, on the ship
– Help in relations with the authorities and official organizations
– Meetings between the crew and the captain
– Processing of retirement, pensions, disability, etc.
– Extra-judicial negotiations to try the resolution of cases
– Claims before the courts
B.) Assistance and preparation of reports to other Spanish AOS centers
C.) Cooperation with other organizations:
Exchange of information, assistance and requests for assistance.
ITF – Derivation of salaries and cases of strikes, requests to ITF inspectors for
They visit a boat on the next port of the ladder, assistance from the ITF inspector
with a lawyer from our team.
CSR: Distribution of publications, addressing the issues in which CSR requests
our help
ISM: collaborations with the problems that affect Spanish seafarers.
Brief history of C.D.M.
The creation of the CDM was approved at the General Assembly of the Apostolate of the Sea of
Barcelona on March 1, 1988.
The idea began after some contacts between Paul Chapman and Brother Pedro
from the Center for Seafarers’ Rights of New York and Ricardo Rodríguez-Martos
Apostolate of the Sea of ​​Barcelona.
The CDM developed its first activities in cooperation with the CSR of New York.
To the lawyer Emilio Blanch, who had had some experiences working with ITF, he was
he entrusted his organization.
The first team was constituted by: Emilio Blanch, as Director
Alejandro Sáez
Other lawyers collaborated with the center sporadically.
In May 1991 the CDM organized the 1st Seminar on the Rights of the Marines
in Barcelona, ​​with the participation, among others, of:
Henk Huibers, MOU – Permanent Secretariat of the MOU (Memorandum of
Understanding) in Rotterdam
Paul Chapman and Douglas Stevenson, Center for Seafarers’ Rights of New York
José Carvajal, Director of the Technical Department of the Consular General Directorate and
Ships in Panama
Máximo Molinuevo, Coordinator of the MOU inspectors in Spain
Andreas Constantinou, Maritime Attaché of the Government of Cyprus in New York
Philip J. Loree, President of the Federation of the American Controlled Shipping (Facs) and
President of the Commission for Maritime Policy in Panama
Bjorn Klerk Nilssen, Head of the Maritime Industries Department at the ILO
José Sarmiento, Administrator of the POEA in the Philippines.
Seminars were attended by people from different Spanish regions, and from several
European countries.
The main theme of the seminar was the implementation of the MOU and the different responsibilities
from governments, port authorities, ship owners, unions, ILOs and countries
with flag of convenience.
1992: In March, the CDM had an office in the new Stella Maris building. Emilio
Blanch, the first director of the CDM, agreed to an official position and left the center. The new
team was constituted by:
Domingo González, new director and Christian Morrón, and Alejandro Sáez. The new office
It had a better location near the commercial port, and the CDM improved its presence in the
harbor
1994 – Attorney Rafael de Muller joined the CDM’s team of lawyers
1995 – Douglas Stevenson directed a workshop on rights of the sailors, in the
which was attended by the CDM team of attorneys and other Stella Maris collaborators at
Barcelona
1999 – Domingo González joined the ICMA delegation before the ILO.
2002 – Lawyer Christian Morrón left the center
The CDM at present
The law enforcement team is currently formed by Domingo González, director,
Rafael de Muller and Alejandro Sáez.
The center lends its support to all AOS centers in Spain and works, both locally
As a national, in close relationship with the ITF. The CDM works very actively by advising legally on the fishing sector in Spain,
Especially through the association of fishermen wives “Rosa dos Ventos” of
Vigo, having participated in the elaboration of several fishing agreements. He has also
He has participated in various conferences in Spain and France.
The CDM has also intervened in cases of abandoned crews in other ports
of Spain.
At the local level, the CDM acts basically in three different ways:
– General advice in the center itself
– Advice or specific actions aboard the ships or in the center in
any schedule, when it comes to special or urgent circumstances
– Actions before the courts, other authorities or the administration.