Prosecutors started investigation on the case of non-payment wages to the crew of general cargo ship "Surov"

The crew members of cargo vessel “Surov” which had grounded  off  the Taman Peninsula filed the application to the Southern Transport Prosecutor's Office stating  that the shipowner had not paid them their wages. According to the Inspector of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) in Novorossiysk Olga Ananina, the seafarers have not received money for several months.

– The crew members on board “Surov” have not been paid since October, 2018, some of them – since  September. They addressed  to me regarding  non-payment of wages even before the incident, – she told.

Most of the crew of “Surov” are Russians, the master and the chief officers are citizens of Azerbaijan. The vessel is flying the flag of Mongolia, the shipowner is the Turkish company Vicara Overseas Corp. The operator of the vessel,  AT Shipmanagement Co, is also based in Turkey. In the management of the company there are 5 more problem vessels, which crews have already repeatedly asked for help from the ITF.

At the end of December, the cargo ship “Surov” ran aground near the Taman Peninsula. The engine room of the vessel was half flooded due to a hole, so the crew was brought ashore. Negotiations with the shipowner on the transportation of the cargo ship and the repatriation of the crew members were held.

– The insurance company is currently dealing with the vessel. All the seafarers have been repatriated, but they have not been paid yet, – Olga Ananina adds.

The source: TASS