In english
The Swedish pilotage service is provided by governmental employed pilots, employed by The Swedish Maritime Administration, Sjöfartsverket, located in Norrköping. The pilotage is organised in seven Areas. The pilots are working under The Pilotage Ordinance (Lotsförordningen) of 1989 and The Pilotage Announcement (Lotsningsföreskriften) of 2005. They are supplemented by the Working Order of the National Administration.
Number of Pilot
There are 215 pilots in Sweden, with both genders represented. Among these pilots there are 65 certified “Red Card” holders for the Baltic Sea.
Minimum Qualifications
Licence for Master of Foreign Going Vessel and recent experience as senior officer. The applicant has to pass a psychological test, and must hold a health certificate. Training in the district 0,5 - 1 year. In some districts it can take up to 4years, before all the levels are taken in.
Working Hours
Each pilot has an individual schedule with 182 working days per year. The schedule is based on a 1/1 system and the pilot works maximum 4-7 days in a row, the schedules are shifting for one workingarea to another. Each working day the pilot must be off duty 11 hours for his / her rest. The pilot has also 27 days of vacation from the scheduled working days, which leaves 155 workingdays/year if all vacation is used.
Guaranteed Rest Time
Eleven hours a day. The pilot himself has to decide if he is fit for a pilotage.
Medical Checks
Swedish pilots have to pass a medical checks every second year and after passing his 50´s birthday , medical check is requested every year.
Retirement
Swedish pilots are retired at the age of 60.
Tariffs/income
Tariffs are set after negotiation with the Administration. The income is difficult to compare to foreign going shipmasters. The pilots get a guaranteed income per month (2/3), rising with employed years. They also receive payment per ship and per piloted hour (1/3).
Pilot’s Organisation
The pilots are organised in a Union called SRAT with 22 800 members. SRAT is a member of Saco, The Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations with several hundreds of thousand organised members. The Swedish Pilots´ Association. Lotsförbundet is organised into 19 local places. These local organisations are formed into five districts with an elected chairman in each district. These chairmen together with the elected President form the the Board of Lotsförbundet.
Swedish Pilot’s Association / Svenska Lotsförbundet-Membership
All the pilots.
EMPA-membership
All the pilots.
Pilot Stations
All pilot stations and pilot boats are organized by the Administration.