The 4th day of the WoA

At first, we planned to spend the whole day in the port of Vostochny (which is the biggest port of the Russian Far East, located 35 km from Nakhodka). Yet there were only two vessels of the four which we were planning to visit, and the other too took loads of coal and left the port just before we arrived there.

1) The first vessel was at the coal terminal; it was m/v “GO STAR” (flag of Malta, IMO 9071416, DWT 43656 T, built 1994).

Owner: GO STAR MARITIME CO., Malta.

Manager: EVALEND SHIPPING CO.LTD., Greece.

Crew of 24, all from the Philippines.

The vessel was loading coal for the port of Beihai (Pakhoi; Chinese ??), China.

An AB is paid USD1,000 and the Master gets USD8,000.

Meals are for USD7.5 per person per day.

The Master showed us the Declaration of Compliance to the international labor standards (part 2) as per the MLC 2006.

The vessel is not covered with an ITF CBA.

The crewmembers do not know for what amount they are insured against death or serious disease/injury.

When we had a discussion on the ITF policy, the crewmembers said that they would like to have the vessel covered with an ITF CBA so we promised to send a corresponding notice to the Shipowner. Also, we distributed ITF magazines in English and SUR calendars, as well as address cards of the Nakhodka Seamen’s Club so that they could call it and have their leisure arranged.

Also, crewmembers took part in a picket.

* * *

2) Next, the SUR team visited m/v “FOUR KITAKAMI” (flag of Panama, IMO 9430820, DWT 55668 T, built 2009 )

Owner: MI-DAS LINE S.A. (IMO 1476098), Japan).

Manager: APEX SHIP MANAGEMENT PTE LTD., Singapore.

Crew of 22, all from Myanma.

The vessel arrived from Inchon, Korea for taking a cargo of coal for Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The vessel is covered with a CBA between the Owner and the JSU.

An AB is paid USD1,290 and the Master gets USD7,000.

All documents as per the MLC 2006 are in place.

Meals are for USD7.5. There were no claims for working conditions or food.

We had a discussion on the ITF campaign against the FOCs/POCs.

Also, we invited them to visit the Nakhodka Seamen’s Club and explained how they could request a free shuttle bus. Also, we distributed ITF magazines in English and SUR calendars.

Then, the crewmembers took part in a picket at the ship’s stern.

* * *

3) After that, we re-visited the Fishing Port of Nakhodka and went to m/v “PATTANA” (flag of Belize, IMO 9015773, built 1992. DWT 9794 T).

Owner: PACIFIC PTY LTD, Belize.

Manager: RUSAM SHIPPING CO.,LTD, Busan, Republic of Korea.

Crew of 19, all from Russia, employed through ROMA Crewing Co., Vladivostok, Russia.

An AB is paid USD1,000 and the Master gets USD4,000.

Meals are fot USD7 per person per day.

The crewing company demands, as a precondition, that every seafarer insures himself before employment, on his own.

They were loading scrap metal for Busan

There is no CBA.

Still, there is the Declaration of Compliance to the international labor standards as per the MLC 2006 on board.

In their mess room we had a discussion on the SUR activities and the ITF policy. The Master, Mr.Igor Kalashnikov, told the audience how in 1999, when he worked as a navigator of m/v “Russ” the vessel was visited in Stokholm, Sweden, by SUR representatives (Yury Sukhorukov, Nikolay Sukhanov and Nikolay Zadoyanov). The SUR officers and the ITF Inspector in Stokholm had the vessel arrested by court order, and assisted the crew in recovering their backwages in the amount of about USD300,000.

Since the vessel was supposed to stay in the port not so far from the SUR Far Eastern Organization’s office, the Master and the crewmembers promised to pay us a visit and to join the SUR.

Also, the crew asked the SUR to insist on having the vessel covered with a proper ITF CBA with the shipmanager in Korea. We will also send a corresponding notice to both the Owner and the Manager. Also, we will certainly inform the ITF Coordinator in Korea, H.K.Kim accordingly. The vessel’s ETA to the port of Busan is between 03 and 09 February 2015.