18.04.2019

Union members on M/V Doris are not recommended to contact with SUR’s inspectors

The ship operator DD Shipping PTE Ltd prohibits  the crew of the Maltese-flagged Doris (IMO 9509425) to show the  ship's documents to the ITF-affiliated marine  unions. Their contacts with the unions are also frowned upon by the operator. The  Far Eastern Regional Organization of the  Seafarers' Union of Russia (SUR FERO) and its representatives have visited the vessel and witnessed it today.  

The SUR FERO's  inspectors  have boarded the  M/V Doris, while the  ship was under coal loading at the  Port of Nakhodka. The  union's officials wanted to see whether the vessel has  had two insurance Certificates as required  the  Consolidated Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).  Both certificates guarantee a shipowner's  financial  responsibility to seafarers in case of  the wage arrears limited to four  months, repatriation expenses and death or disability compensations. During  such inspections the  officials look through the employment agreements of seafarers and the  collective agreements if available. It is a way to clarify  the  working conditions of  seafarers, whether their  rights on decent   employment  are respected, and whether they need  help. Unfortunately, the union wasn't  able  to see the  labour conditions  of the crew, consisting of 19 Russians including the SUR's members. The union points out that  such practice is unlawful  and is  a gross violation  of  seafarers' rights. 

However,   in  case of  M/V Doris, we weren't  able  to determine  this even there was a SUR's member in the  crew. 

Singapore-based DD Shipping PTE Ltd operates two ocean-going ships of  70,000 dwt in total.  The Russian seafarers are  employed on this fleet through crewing agency DMZ Crewing Limited in Vladivostok. And a subsidiary of DD Shipping PTE is located in Vladivostok, too. Its managers have been avoiding the negotiations with the  SUR and the  ITF to sign  the  collective agreement  for  many years. Due to this, Australia banned the ships from visiting its  ports. 

– We told the  seafarers that the  company's  instruction, banning  contacts with the SUR/ITF representatives, is  out of law because  the  aim of our visit as a union is  to find out whether the  crew has any complaints and,  in case of any problems, to help them in their resolving. Moreover,  the  crew includes  the  SUR's  members,  Nikolai Sukhanov, the  chairman of the  SUR FERO, said. – We decided  to address a notice to the  operator and require.

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