July 2016: Week of Actions, day 2

On the second day of the WoA, the SUR team visited 4 vessels in the Nakhodka Sea Port.

The Chairman of the SUR Far Eastern Organization Nikolay Sukhanov says:

«The first vessel visited at a berth of the former Tin Can Factory, was m/v “BIG GLORY” (flag of Panama, IMO 9302815; built in 2005; DWT 55809 T).

Owner: KOBE SHIPMANAGMENT COMPANY LTD., Kobe, Japan.  Manager: DALIAN HONGFENG INTERNATIONAL, Dalian, China.
Crew of 21, all Chinese.
The vessel arrived from Wakayama, Japan, and was loading coal for Kwangyang, Jeollanam-do, S.Korea.
The vessel is NOT covered with an ITF CBA.
The Declaration as per the MLC 2006 is in place.
Individual Contracts of Employment are in place.
The Master is paid USD 7,300, while an AB gets USD 1,350. Meals are for USD 7,5 per day.
Since there is no CBA, crewmembers do not know for what amount they are insured against an injury or death on board.

 

After we explained to the crew the benefits of being covered with an ITF CBA, they requested the SUR team to address the Owner with a demand to sign one. Therefore, we will send a corresponding Notice and strongly request to sign the CBA before leaving the port of Nakhodka.

Then, we distributed ITF magazines in Chinese. Also, we advised the crew that they could spend their free time in the Nakhodka International Seamen’s Club. In the end of the visit the crewmembers participated in a picket on the ship’s stern.

The second vessel, visited in Nakhodka Commercial Port, was m/v “PRETTY KEEL” (flag of Panama, IMO 9502831; built in 2012; DWT 35248 T).

Owner/manager: PARAKOU SHIPPING LTD., Hon Kong.
Crew of 22, all Chinese and all union members.
The vessel arrived from Kam Fa, Vietnam, and was loading coal for the same port.
The vessel is covered with an ITF CBA, signed with Hong Kong Seafarers Co-ordinating Committee.
The Declaration as per the MLC 2006 is in place.
Individual Contracts of Employment are in place.
The Master is paid USD 5,800, an AB gets USD 1,806. Meals are for USD 8 per day.
Ratings are insured for USD 96,909, junior officers for USD 129,212, and senior officers for USD 161,514.

 

The SUR team explained to the crew how the ITF maritime unions work, and answered a number of questions concerning services to seafarers in sea ports.

The third visited vessel was m/v “GLORIOUSFUTURE” (flag of Panama, IMO 9370977; built in 2006; bulk carrier, DWT 24781 T).

Owner: KAWASAKI KISEN KAISHA LTD., Tokyo, Japan; Manager: BLUE MARINE MANAGEMENT CORP., Manila, Philippines.
The vessel was loading coal for K?chi, Shikoku, Japan.
Crew of 19, all Filipinos.
The vessel is NOT covered with an ITF CBA.
The Declaration as per the MLC 2006 is in place.
Individual Contracts of Employment are in place.
The Master is paid USD 6,000, while an AB gets USD 1,000. Meals are for USD 7 per day.
The crew does not know for what amount they are insured.

 

During a meeting in the mess room we explained to the crew the work of the ITF and the SUR and handed out magazines and newspapers in English. Also, we told them about the recent ASS meeting, namely, that one of the most important matters on the agenda was assisting seafarers in emergency situation, how soon shore-based rescue services can render help, and what shall be owners’ financial guarantees. Then we answered the crew’s questions.

Also, we told the crew about the Nakhodka International Seamen’s Club, its timetable, and how to get there; we explained that the Club has a bus purchased with the ITF Trust’s grant, which can take seafarers to the Club and back.

We will send to the Japanese Owner a Notice demanding to sign a proper CBA before leaving Nakhodka. We have also informed the Master that the Company shall instruct him to sign the CBA and produced a draft CBA.

Also, the crew participated in an anti-FIC picket on board.

The fourth vessel visited by the SUR team was m/v “NEW HUNCHUN” (flag of Jamaica, IMO 9536272; built in 2007; DWT 4,975 T.

Crew of 16, all from North Korea. The vessel arrived from South Korea and will proceed to China (PRC).
The vessel is NOT covered with an ITF CBA.
There are NO Individual Contracts of Employment.
The Master is paid USD 1,500, and an AB gets USD 500. Meals are for USD 4,5 per day.

 

The owner is from China (beneficial owner unknown, registered owner – MA'ANSHAN YUHUAN LUNCHUAN CO., China, manager – ROYAL ARMADAS INTL. CO. LTD., China). This could be named a model FOC-business: the Chinese owner found the cheapest workers available, and gets profits by low wages and poor working and living conditions. Also, we know that lack of transparency in the FOC system opens doors to transnational crime and even international terrorism as the real link between a vessel and its state (Jamaica in this case) disappears.

We handed out ITF literature and explained what do the ITF and the SUR do. Crewmembers participated in an anti-FOC picket on board. We will send a Notice to the Owner demanding to sign a proper ITF CBA.

Also, we informed the Port Master of Nakhodka that the vessel should be detained in the port since the crewmembers do not have Individual Contracts of Employment».