Introduction
The debate involved the topic of who has a better life between workers on the commercial side and employees in the navy. The discussion occurred at the Emdeck building on 28 November 2022. There were two teams, which will be named Team A (Commercial side) and Team B (Military). Team A argued that ship workers’ lives were better while Team B argued that people in the navy had an improved life. This report will analyze the deliberation and provide insights into the whole process.
Table 1: Groups that participated
Points of Arguments for Team A and Team B
Commercial
The first speaker was Arjun and the main point introduced was salary and benefits. Arjun indicated that the salary for people working in commercial vessels was high compared to military ships. Another important issue was that the maritime labor convention of 2006 helped enact legislation that protects individuals working in commercial vessels. The law ensured that employees were paid promptly and protected from inappropriate human resource practices. Another aspect is that workers are provided with full-time benefits such as insurance, full-time wages, and pension. The speaker concluded that individuals working in commercial ships had a wide range of options that help enhance their work life.
Military
Rakan was the first speaker for the team that supported the military side. The speaker started by providing statistics on the number of students who chose the navy after high school. The data provided show that 400,000 students graduate high school and 1400 people apply for the navy (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2019). The statistics also indicate that only 1000 individuals apply for maritime science (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2019). Rakan agreed with the point by Arjun that ship employees were paid a higher salary. However, the speaker noted that people in the Navy are paid as long as they are registered in the military. Rakan then added that the benefits and bonuses provided to individuals in the military far outweighed the high salary on the commercial side. One example is the full medical insurance for an individual together with their family. Another advantage is that people in the navy do not have to work specific hours to be paid as their pay is guaranteed. The speaker concludes by indicating that it is better to be in the military.
Commercial
Shafik was the next individual for the commercial side and introduced a point on the duration of contract and opportunities available for ship employees The speaker indicated that full medical insurance provided by the army was not favorable because soldiers could die on the battlefield. Shafik noted that cargo ships provided short contracts to workers in cargo ships and cruise ships. This allows the employees to move from one ship to another and gain meaningful experiences. Shafik provided an example of experiences as a worker on both cargo and cruise ships. The short contracts also allow for gaining new skills, which can help when searching for new opportunities. The speaker concluded by showing that the contracts provided to members of the navy were long and limit the individuals.
Military
Abdullah provided feedback on the points raised by Shafik by showing that commercial vessels did not provide stable jobs. This was illustrated using the recent pandemic that affected the whole world. Seafarers were left stranded because there were extensive lockdowns that limited movement. Most of the workers were forced to stay at home without work. The speaker contrasted this with the stability experienced by members of the navy as they receive their benefits regardless of major events. Abdullah also noted that it is possible to move from the military and join other companies that deal with security. The speaker finalized by indicating that military members had diverse opportunities.
Commercial
The next speaker was Socrates who raised a point on workload and routine. The speaker indicated that commercial vessels offered balanced and systematic work. The employees are not time bound to accomplish all tasks at a given time. This provides the staff members with more freedom, which reduces job pressure. Socrates used the example of a planned maintenance system (PMS) that was used to plan, perform, and document ship maintenance records. The model is based on the international safety management (ISM) code that guides the safe management of ships. On the aspect of routine, the speaker noted that people working in commercial vessels operated under specific schedules that are planned. Socrates finalized by emphasizing that the routine and workload in commercial ships were stable and organized.
Military
The last speaker objected to the points raised concerning routine and workload. Muhannad agreed that the PMS system was essential for commercial vessels. For the military ships, the scheduling is done by the senior officers and can change as new issues arise. The main purpose of military vessels is to provide security. This means that certain situations may require changes in the operating times. Another aspect noted by Muhannad was that army ships had a larger crew, which is an advantage. The workload can be distributed equally, which reduces the workload of individual crew members. The speaker emphasized that military crew members had better conditions than those on the commercial side.
Techniques Applied in Debating
One of the techniques that were noted was the use of facts and data to provide the foundation for a point in the debate. Both sides used information from different sources to disapprove of the other side’s point. Another aspect that was noted was that the speakers were confident when debating. This is essential because the points being raised may not be effective if team members are not confident (Qobilova and Turaeva, 2020). The use of statistics shows that the participants in the debate were well-prepared. Early planning is crucial because it ensures that people have organized the issues that will be highlighted in the debate.
Opinion on the Debate
Team A
Team A made the argument that the commercial side is better than the military side. The points provided by the team members were based on the duration of contracts, opportunities, workload, routine, salary, and benefits. The team provided valid examples on each of the points that were raised. The depiction of the benefits of the commercial side was convincing to the audience even though several questions were raised. The presentation showed that the team understood the nature of commercial shipping. This can be seen when the speaker provided information on the contracts of ship workers and the nature of operations. The details were essential because they resulted in points that were more insightful. On the part of audience questions, the team was able to provide clear clarifications on some of the issues raised. The team members volunteered to answer questions from the audience, which indicated confidence in the aspects they raised. Based on the presentation, the group provided crucial points, which enabled them to convince the audience.
Team B
Team B argued that the military side is better than the commercial side. The group disapproved of the points raised by Team A using examples and facts. The examples provided enhanced the issues that were discussed in the debate. However, the presentation was unable to convince the audience on various aspects, which shows that the team did not have a complete understanding of the topic. The aspects of the benefits provided to military men raised considerable questions from the audience. The clarifications that were made by the members also did not convince the listeners fully. Therefore, the team did not convey arguments that persuaded the audience based on the above issues.
Reference List
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2019) Education at a glance in 2019. Web.
Qobilova, F. T., and Turaeva, K. T. (2020) ‘Implication of debate and discussions for EFL learners at secondary school’, Theoretical & Applied Science, 2(82), pp. 180-184. Web.
Audience Questions
- More people are joining the navy than there are merchants, do you think it is a recruitment issue or another motive?
- You indicated that navy ships have larger crews that may make life less stressful, but being in the water is stressful, explain.
- If you get injured or die who will pay, and what is the compensation?
- What are the injury and death statistics in military ships?