There is no collective agreement on board the m/v Melody

According to the Labor Inspector of the Black and Azov Seas Territorial Organization of the  Seafarers’ Union of Russia (BASTO SUR) Evgeny Bangert, who recently visited the  tanker  Melody (IMO 9476135, the flag of the Marshall Islands, 2008- built) at the port of Novorossiysk, the same situation has long been on other vessels of the Greek shipowner Roxana Shipping SA. The absence  of an International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) collective agreement negatively affects the working conditions of crew members, many of whom are Russians.

-Some seafarers reported that wages are often paid with delays,-  Evgeny Bangert said. - Besides, the repatriation of some of the crew members was supposed to take place in Novorossiysk, but not all of them have been replaced. According to the crew, the supply of the vessel  is far from perfect. In general the company does not particularly care about  compliance with the requirements  of the Maritime Labor Convention regarding the protection of seafarers.”

The m/v Melody crew consists of 20 seafarers and three more cadets. All of them are from Primorsky Region - Nakhodka and Vladivostok. While  talking to the crew, it turned out that not everyone knows about the SUR and its activities, so the representatives of the Union told the seafarers about the work of the trade union and  handed them issues of the Maritime Union’s Herald.

-We left on board  a note to the company with a demand to enter into negotiations on signing a collective agreement, - Evgeny Bangert said. – Its copy was sent to the ITF Inspector in Novorossiysk for further drafting  of the collective agreement.

At the moment, the vessel  with a cargo of fuel oil is heading to Italy.