Seafarer managed to recover the money paid for crewing services

The Kaliningrad Territorial Organization of the Seafarers' Union of Russia helped him to achieve it.

The work in the fishing industry is challenging: contracts are long, salaries are small, ships are old, and the most important -  the well-known Maritime Labor Convention does not apply to fishermen. Meanwhile, the document, among other things, provides  protection  against informal fees charged by some crewing agencies regardless of the flag - national or foreign - the vessel, a seafarer is recruited  for, is flying.

On this basis the employment of Russian seafarers by foreign companies is overseen: the Main Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs issues licenses, and if crewing agency commits any violation  the prosecutors will intervene. Employment on a ship flying the Russian flag is monitored by the State Labor Inspectorate. Fishermen are not covered by the MLC, that's why they are in a less advantageous position: they have their own separate convention, but it does not ban charging fees for employment services. Thus, it's no wonder that SUR is often contacted by people who have paid for their employment due to lack of knowledge.

One of them came to the KTO SUR and  complained  that he had paid for employment but did not get a job.

- The agency that provided the contract for signing to the seafarer looking for a job proudly indicated on its VK page among its partners AO Okeanrybflot JSC, Poseidon LLC, Ostrovnoy RKO, Pilenga JSC, Nakhodka Active Marine Fishery Base PJSC and Interrybflot LLC. All these are fishing companies, - Lyudmila Izmalkova, Chairman of the KTO SUR explained. - Thus,  it's about work for fishermen, not seafarers.

As for the crewing agency, it has been registered in January of this year and it does not have a website yet, it has just the  page on the social network.

Employment through the agency will cost 20 thousand rubles, which, according to the terms of the contract, are not refundable. The agency, as is customary with such kind of companies, is not responsible for anything. They just block the most persistent seafarers  asking for the job they have paid for, although during the first weeks they promise a voyage every day. You can wait for the job offer from such agencies endlessly. And there are quite some   seafarers falling for the trick and  signing a document on employment and paying for the service. “They make a good profit of it ,” - Izmalkova believes.

Fortunately, the seafarer who turned to the trade union managed to recover his money with the assistance of  KTO SUR.

 - The crewing agency did not specify the details of employmen  in the contract, - Lyudmila Izmalkova explains. - In particular, it was not stipulated that it's about employment on a fishing vessel under the Russian flag. The seafarer succeded in getting 20 thousand rubles back by pointing out inaccuracies that could be interpreted as employment on any type of vessel under a foreign flag, which means work without a license and violation of the MLC, which the prosecutors could be interested in.

The Seafarers' Union of Russia reminds: you should not pay for employment on vessels. Bona fide agencies receive money for recruitment from the shipowner, and not from potential employees. Fair crewing companies cherish  their reputation and will not violate the requirements of the Maritime Labor Convention.

Source: KTO SUR; photo by deita.ru