ITF Inspection in St. Petersburg helped the seafarer to return home

It took  the St. Petersburg Inspectorate of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) less than a week to address  the issue of repatriating a crew member of the “Teal Bay” (flag of the Isle of Man), who stayed on board after expiring the contract time.

A Vietnamese seafarer  contacted the ITF at the end of January, when the ship arrived at the port of  St. Petersburg.  The Inspectors began investigation concerning his complaint. It was found out that the crew member had worked on board the vessel

for six months plus one, as stipulated in his individual contract of employment. However, upon the expire of the contracted period, the company didn't hurry to repatriate the seafarer. Moreover, all his requests went unanswered.

Following the intervention of the ITF, the Singaporean company confirmed the employee’s right for repatriation and paid for his flight from St. Petersburg to Vietnam. A few days ago, the seafarer contacted the ITF Inspectorate again. He said he was at home with his family, and thanked the ITF for help.

One important detail -  there is a collective agreement on board the vessel “Teal Bay”. The availability of the collective bargaining agreement confirms: even if seafarers have problems, they are resolved quickly and in a civilized manner.