Upon returning home the seafarer thanked the SUR for the assistance

The AB seaman had worked on the container ship MSC Talia F for a whole year, and was able to return to his family only after the Seafarers' Union of Russia intervened in the situation.

In mid-June 2022, the Far Eastern Territorial Organization of the SUR  received the appeal in which the seafarer sought for  repatriation assistance. 

He wrote that on July 11, 2021, he arrived on board the ship following his employment through an Odessa-based  crewing agency. At that time, Ukrainians and a Russian were already working on board. In general, everything was well - the work went on as usual. Relationships between the crew members continued to be businesslike even after the start of the special operation on February 24, 2022.

Given this, the seafarer asked the company to extend the contract, but in early June 2022 he decided it was time to change as he felt unwell and general fatigue.  The containership was heading to Libya. However, there was no response from the company. Having found himself in such a situation, the AB contacted the FETO SUR and asked for assistance with repatriation.

At first representatives of the trade union tried to contact with the crewing agency in Odessa, but it turned out that the agency had changed its location and it was difficult to reach out to their office. The FETO SUR sent the seafarer's appeal to the international department of the SUR, from where the message immediately went to the Italian Union of Seafarers. By the way, since the seafarer had difficulty communicating in English, the union organized correspondence with all parties involved.

After leaving Libya, the MSC Talia F headed  to Naples, Italy, so the FETO SUR contacted the local ITF Inspector and asked to render assistance to the AB seaman. Following the negotiations hold on board with the participation of representatives of the port administration and the police, representatives of the shipowner and the seafarer, a mutual decision was made to arrange the change for the seafarer in Mersin, Turkey, the next port of call of the containership. 

Due to the threat of vessel's detention, the company took emergency action in order to provide a replacement.

Indeed, upon the arrival in Turkey the Russian seafarer was paid wages and sent home.

After having returned to his home town  Spassk-Dalniy, the Primorskiy region, the seafarer expressed his deep gratitude to the SUR for the assistance rendered.