«Pyotr Velikiy» crew asks SUR to help with repatriation

The SUR Primary Seafarers' Trade Union of Vladivostok City received a letter containing  the requests to repatriate seven members of crew Pyotr Velikiy (IMO7721225). Murmansk Shipping Company-owned MV Pyotr Velikiy is under flag of Russia. Currently the  vessel places at the repair yard  in Shanhaiguan, Hebei Province, China. The crew consists  of 19 seafarers. According to the crew, their  contracts expired on June 12. They didn't   get wages for May  and also  June salary advances. Some seafarers are required a medical treatment.

“The crew complained about irregularly  provision supply and expressed  the concerns that they could not  get back the wages cause the owner plans  to sell the ship. Seven members of crew asked for  the repatriation,” said Pyotr Osichanskiy, chairman at the SUR Primary  Seafarers' Trade Union of Vladivostok City. To clear the situation, the union reached Svetlana Sheveleva, the HR chief at Murmansk Shipping Company. She confirmed  that MV Pyotr Velikiy now is being repaired in China.

“Any decision  on selling the ship hasn't been  taken yet. At now we are working on  changing seven crew members who submitted the applications,” she said. At present  the company organizes and  prepares the crew change. The new  crew is  planned to obtain the Chinese visa on June 22 and seven seafarers would go to China  on next day.

“The  company pledged to return May salaries in accordance with terms of the Collective agreement, specifically from June 14, 2018. Sheveleva said that  the money-transfers have been started. The company promises to pay  June salaries  after July 14, 2018,” added Osichanskiy. “The company clarified that there is no critical situation around ship provisions. On June 18 China celebrates its national holiday therefore the provision  supply  schedules for June 19. ” Getting  the information from Murmansk Shipping Company, the union immediately  passed on this news to the crew. Receiving  a good news the seafarers, who are the Murmansk citizens, were happy and said thanks  to the Seafarers' Trade Union of Vladivostok:  “Today at 18:05 China Time  we have  received a telegram.  All information in it, except on provisions, coincided with. We will stand  this time because the  crew change  is  more important! During the last two and a half months we have  been receiving the same information and I'm sure  your attention to our problem helped us. Thank you in advance! We will keep you informed!” The Seafarers' Union of Russia hopes that the crew will be successfully repatriated and  wage problems  will not be appeared again.