The bulk carrier Mercurius owned by the Ukrainian company is not covered by the ITF agreement

At a meeting with the crew, representatives of the Far Eastern Territorial Organization of the Seafarers Union of Russia (FETO SUR) said that this could be fraught with consequences for the crew. Given the instability of the situation, the Ukrainian shipowner (NVL TransShippingLtd)  may have various problems, including the payment of wages. In case the vessel Mercurius (IMO 9224661, flag of Panama, built in 2001) is covered by the ITF collective agreement it would be a guarantee of the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of seafarers. In this regard, the crew asked the inspectors of the FETO SUR to send a notice of warning to the shipowner demanding the signing of the agreement.

«Considering that the ship was detained by the port authorities in the Nakhodka for non–compliance with the requirements of fire-fighting equipment, we suggested that the shipowner, authorized the captain to sign a collective agreement before the ship leaves the port of Nakhodka,» said Nikolay Sukhanov, chairman of FETO SUR.

In total, there are 19 Ukrainian and two Georgian seafarer on board. The captain willingly invited the representatives of the SUR to his cabin and provided all the necessary documentation. According to him, there used to be a collective agreement on board, but on March 31, 2022, its validity expired. The basic rate of an AB is $ 750, and the salary is $ 1,500.The captain receives $7,300. Meals are organized for 7.5 US dollars per day for each sailor.

«The seafarers said that in case of death they are insured for amounts from 35 000 to 50 000 US dollars. If the vessel is covered by the collective agreement, the insurance amount would be at least 110 000 US dollars, and the salary of an AB would be at least 1800 dollars», - Nikolay Sukhanov noted.

At the meeting, representatives of the trade union also told the crew about the work of the Seafarers Union of Russia to combat flags of convenience, brought on board fresh magazines Maritime Unions Herald and books on the rights of seafarers working on ships under flags of convenience. Considering that the seafarers now have free access to the shore, which was not available to Ukrainians before, we offered them to use the services of the International Maritime Club of Nakhodka, where the crew, upon the request of the captain, will be delivered by a free bus.