Seafarers from Novorossiysk can not return home

Three seafarers from Novorossiysk, members of the crew of the m/v Marvin Star, owned by the Greek company Marvin Shipping, appealed to the SUR with a request to help in the repatriation. They have been on board for more than 8 months.

«With contracts of 4+1 someone works for 8 months, and two crewmembers have been on board for a year. People are tired, and the unknown is ahead»,- says one of crewmembers.

According to the seafarers, all this time the ship operates between the ports of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Since the end of last year, the shipowner "feeds promises" to its Georgian-Russian crew and each time finds reasons to extend contracts. The seafarers are forced to sign new contracts as they are afraid of not getting a salary, which was not paid since December. «We understand that currently each country has its own conditions for signing off, and it is not easy to organize a change, but taking in mind our vessel trades between three countries is it really possible to change us in any port. It seems that  employer just finds any excuse for not organizing a shift».

The situation on board the Marvin Star is also aggravated by interruptions in the supply of products. The seafarers reported the situation to the flag administration, the Marshall Islands, and to the ITF.

According to the ITF, the company operates four vessels, two of which are currently under arrest in the Netherlands. The seafarers were manned by the notorious crewing agency Novomar from Novorossiysk, which became famous in September last year in connection with the case of m/v Bourbon. Then the Novorossiysk seafarers also gave SOS from the Philippines because there was no food, no electricity, no money on board. It should be noted that later the Novorossiysk Transport Prosecutor's Office revealed violations of the license legislation in the activities of Novomar and appealed to the court. The trial continues until now.

Maritime Union’s  Newspaper, South Territorial Organization