SUR FETO Inspectors visited a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel

Inspectors of the Far Eastern Territorial Organization of the Seafarers’ Union of Russia (FETO SUR) visited the m/v Sea Diamond berthed at the coal terminal of the Vostochny port. Nikolay Sukhanov, FETO SUR Chairman, told about the outcome of the visit.

The bulk carrier flies the flag of the Marshall Islands and was built in 2007. The registered owner of the vessel is a company from Seoul (South Korea), and the operator and beneficiary shipowner is Hanaro Shipping Co Ltd-Seoul, also Seoul-based. There are insurance certificates required by the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 available on board.

The crew consists of 24 seafarers, nine are Korean officers, and another 15 are ratings from Burma. There is a collective agreement on board with the Korean Seafarers' Union, but it is due to expire on December 31, 2023.

“We informed the captain that we would inform the Korean shipowners about the need to extend the collective agreement,” - Sukhanov noted.

The salary of an AB Seaman is $1,544, and a captain's salary is $11,000. Daily food allowance is $11 per crew member. There are no complaints from the crew regarding the regularity of payment of salaries or about food.

“The seafarers know that there is a collective agreement on board, and they are all insured in case of death. The insured amount is about $110,000,” - the FETO SUR Chairman added.

The FETO SUR representatives congratulated the crew gathered together in the mess room on the upcoming New Year and on the Day of Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of all seafarers. They handed the seafarers FETO SUR calendars for 2024, as well as the books on the rights of seafarers working under flags of convenience and the latest issues of the “Maritime Unions Herald” magazine.

The SUR representatives answered all the crew’s questions, most of which related to the opportunities for rest on shore.

“We informed the crew, that, at the request of the captain, they will be provided with a free bus to the International Marine Club of Nakhodka,” - Sukhanov said. The main goal of the Club is to create a “home-like” atmosphere for seafarers. There they can use the Internet, sit in a bar, listen to a concert, read books and much more.

SUR Inspectors also spoke about flags of convenience. A striking example of their use is the m/v Sea Diamond. 

“The seafarers work on board a vessel owned by a Korean company and registered under the flag of convenience of the Marshall Islands. The Korean shipowner employed cheaper labor, Burmese sailors, and does not pay taxes to his own country,” Sukhanov explained.

Seafarers' unions from around the world have developed and approved minimum standards regarding wage and working conditions on board vessels under flags of convenience. The Korean shipowner meets the standards and has signed a collective agreement, which guarantees the protection of the rights and interests of employees, with the Korean Seafarers' Union.