Please find attached and below this press release from ITF member union Nautilus International. For more information on this release please contact Jake Setterfield at Acceleris on 02034437126 / 0845 4567251 or DanS@acceleris-mc.com / JakeS@acceleris-mc.com.
Yours,
Sam Dawson
ITF
Modern Slavery 'Alive and Kicking' in Merseyside According to Union
Maritime Trade Union Nautilus International Protests to Highlight Seafarers in Runcorn Working on $0.85 an Hour
Press Release
06 July 2017
Seafarers onboard a flag of convenience ship detained in the UK port of Runcorn have been suffering atrocious conditions in British waters, being paid wages as low as US$0.85 an hour. They were also found to be owed almost US$43,000 in back pay following checks by a maritime union inspector.
Nautilus International/ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) ship inspector Tommy Molloy has lodged protests with the Turkish owners of the 1,596 Gross Tonnage general cargo ship Seccadi and the Panama ship registry over the shocking conditions onboard the vessel.
Wages identified on the contracts for the Turkish and Indian crew of the ship were below International Labour Organisation minimums and ranged between US$250 and US$700 per month for Able Seamen (ABs).
Mr Molloy said there was no fresh fruit, vegetables or meat onboard the ship and there was a cockroach infestation in the galley. He comments: "When crew are not paid for more than two months, not repatriated and do not have the basic food requirements to sustain a healthy diet, then they are considered to have been abandoned."
Mr Molloy said the crew had been promised owed wages when the ship called at Rijeka, Croatia, in May but nothing was forthcoming. The deficiencies amounted to a clear breach of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), he added, and the owners have another vessel detained in the port of Sharpness and another in Thirsk – both with similar problems.
"Despite the MLC 2006 we still see too many owners operating in this way,' he added. 'Human beings - in the form of crew - seem to be nothing more than a necessary evil to them. 85 cents per hour - when lucky enough to get paid - and no food or repatriation doesn't seem like too many levels up from slavery to me."
Mr Molloy added: "The North West Port Welfare Committee and the good people of Merseyside are rallying round and have taken it upon themselves to look after the crew's welfare. Fresh fruit and vegetables have been provided by the Seafarers Centre, who are also ensuring they have adequate shore leave as a diversion from their plight. Others have offered cash donations to cover their basic needs. That they do so speaks volumes for their good hearts. That they have to in 2017 is a disgrace."
He said an appeal had also been made to the vessel's insurers – Lodestar Marine – to meet their obligations to pay and repatriate the crew. "They have told us their enquiries are continuing and in the meantime the UK Border Force has given notice to remove – deport – the crew, and I can only conclude that the insurers would prefer this, with all of the negative ramifications for the crew, rather than paying out as we believe they are required to." To continue pressuring the government to change the outdated system, join Nautilus's CEC campaign and send a letter to your MP by visiting: https://nautilusint.org/en/what-we-say/nautilus-news/nautilus-uk-committee-launches-certificate-campaign/
ENDS
For more information, contact Dan Stead or Jake Setterfield at Acceleris on 02034437126 / 0845 4567251 or DanS@acceleris-mc.com / JakeS@acceleris-mc.com.
Notes to Editors
Nautilus International is the trade union and professional organisation for maritime professionals at sea and ashore. We represent 22,000 maritime professionals including ship masters (captains), officers, officer trainees (cadets) and shipping industry personnel, such as ship pilots, inland navigation workers, vessel traffic services operators (similar to air traffic control), harbourmasters, seafarers in the oil and gas industry, and shore-based staff.
This email is confidential and may be privileged. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender and then delete it immediately. You should not copy it or use it for any purpose nor disclose its contents to any other person. Any views or opinions expressed within the email are solely those of the sender and do not necessarily represent those of the ITF or the Seafarers' Trust.
No comments:
Post a Comment