Ambition

We believe that our investment in the development and training of our staff at sea and ashore drives engagement, motivation and retention of our staff and is key to maximising their safety and productivity.

Employees at Sea

We train our seafarers to standards equal to or exceeding those required by the International Maritime Organization’s International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (“STCW”). This significant investment we make in seafarer training at sea and ashore drives our safety and external inspection performance indicators which are consistently among the best in the industry.

• We host multiple officer and ratings training seminars at our crewing centres in Philippines, China and India.

Employees Ashore

For shore‑based employees, we conduct a training needs analysis as part of our annual performance appraisal to identify gaps between current and required knowledge, skills and capabilities. This enables us to design targeted training and development programmes that support continuous improvement.

We invest in staff training and leadership development at all levels of the organisation. This investment supports productivity, engagement, retention and succession planning, and helps build a strong and sustainable talent pipeline. Our investment in shore‑based training includes:

• Classroom‑ and seminar‑based external training
• On‑the‑job training, site visits and company visits
• Understudy programmes for early‑career executives
• Team‑building activities that promote high‑performance collaboration and high standards
• Leadership and management training, including executive coaching for high‑potential employees
• Training in specialised management tools
• Group‑wide digital platforms, including intranet access, instant messaging and video conferencing, to support real‑time knowledge sharing

The Company maintains a dedicated budget for training and development, with typically around half of shore‑based employees participating in external training each year through local providers and leading international business schools.

Through the commitment we make to providing decent work, sound workplace conditions and fair employment terms, we benefit in return from strong retention of high-quality, loyal seafarers and safe operations.

Our labour standards, human rights practices and workplace conditions adhere to all conventions where our ships trade and our offices are located , including those applicable to our Hong Kong and Singapore‑flagged vessels.

Our labour policies and minimum standards are determined with reference to the conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) – the United Nations agency that shapes policies to promote decent working conditions for seafarers and other workers. We are also committed to the internationally recognized principles of human rights as expressed in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

The ILO conventions relating to seafarers are consolidated in the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC), which has been ratified by China and Singapore and the requirements of which have been largely incorporated into Hong Kong and Singapore flag‑state legislation, including Hong Kong CAP 478 Merchant Shipping (Seafarers) and relevant Singapore maritime regulations. Accordingly, the MLC requirements are mandatory for our Hong Kong‑ and Singapore‑flagged dry bulk ships.

Where ILO conventions have not been ratified by our flag state, we voluntarily comply with or exceed their requirements through a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with ITF‑affiliated seafarer unions. Pacific Basin was actively involved in drafting the current Hong Kong flag‑state CBA, which applies to all Hong Kong employers of seafarers under the ITF.

We have also adopted the Sustainable Shipping Initiative Code of Conduct, which reinforces compliance with the MLC and other relevant maritime conventions and places additional emphasis on valuing seafarers and protecting their human rights.

Building high‑performing teams and a more resilient company

We recognise that a diverse workforce – bringing together different skills, experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and ideas – strengthens our business, improves decision‑making and supports long‑term success.

We seek to foster a culture of care, respect, non‑discrimination and inclusion, and a workplace where colleagues have fair, merit‑based access to opportunity. We aim to ensure that ideas are heard, decisions are made on merit, and colleagues are supported in contributing to our business’ success and resilience.

Our shore‑based workforce comprises colleagues of 38 nationalities, with a broadly balanced gender and age profile overall. We acknowledge the lower representation of women in middle and senior management, reflecting the relatively small pool of female applicants in the shipping industry. We continue to leverage our employer brand and development programmes to attract, retain and advance diverse talent.

Pacific Basin was an early adopter of the Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission’s Racial Diversity and Inclusion Charter, supporting its mission to promote racial equality and inclusive workplaces.

At sea, we are investing in the development of a growing number of female seafarers. We currently employ 70 female seafarers on our owned vessels, including 21 officers. We are also a corporate member of the Diversity Study Group and the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA International), which provide platforms for engagement on diversity and inclusion within the shipping industry.

Our ongoing team‑building and employee engagement initiatives support an inclusive workplace with strong staff engagement. This has helped us navigate business challenges, maintain good retention, and achieve high employee satisfaction as verified in an independent study conducted in 2025.