SUR helped the Ukrainian seafarers

At the end of January, the Azov-Don Territorial Organization of the Seafarers Union of Russia (ADTO SUR) received an appeal from the M/V Mila (IMO 8865987, flag of Moldova),  which remained in the Turkish port of Bandirma. The Ukrainian seafarers asked for help in reimbursing the salary that the owner of the ship, the Odessa company Black Sea Shipping Management, did not pay them for almost four months. The union helped the crewmembers, but only a few of them were grateful for this, which, unfortunately, is not uncommon.

«As soon as the seafarers contacted us, we advised the shipowner about the problem, who soon paid them a salary for two months, that is, about half of what he owed. However, unfortunately, when the ship called Rostov-on-Don on February 12, only two crewmembers that needed to be repatriated turned out to be conscientious people and joined the trade union. The others did not do this, despite the help they received», - said the chairman of the ADTO SUR Leonid Glushak.

Upon assistance of the union two seafarers were paid in full and repatriated at the owner’s cost. As Leonid Glushak noted, this story is one of many similar ones as the seafarers, who are not members of a trade union, receive free assistance, but they are not in a hurry to join the union. For example, when in November last year, thanks to the efforts of ADTO SUR Azeri engineers and Ukrainian cook from the m/v River Rain received the wage arrears and got a chance to be repatriated from Rostov-on-don, none of them wished to become the union member.

The SUR notes that the trade union can once meet the seafarers who are not its members, and understand their problems. However, if they encounter difficulties again, they will not receive the same support.