Panama-flagged vessel was inspected in Nakhodka

It's about the bulk carrier Porto Kioni (IMO 9679282), berthed for loading a coal destined for Indian ports. The registered owner of the vessel is White Lion Management Co Sa of Panama, the operator and beneficial owner of the vessel and signatory to the Declaration of Maritime Labor Compliance Part II - Sea Trade Marine SA of Greece.

According to Chairman of the Far Eastern Territorial Organization of the Seafarers’ Union of Russia Nikolay Sukhanov,  the bulker’s crew consists of  22 members: Captain, 2nd Officer and 3d Officer are Romanians, the rest are Filipinos.

“Insurance certificates, required in accordance with the Maritime Labor Convention 2006, are available on board. The salary of an AB Seaman is $1249, the salary of a captain is $9800. All crew members are insured in case of death during the contract period in the amount of $40,000. The Union did not receive any complaints about the wage payment, but the seafarers asked the FETO SUR representatives about the level of wages, which, in their opinion, should be paid to the crews on vessels flying flags of convenience, and what makes some shipowners to raise salaries of their crews”, - Nikolay Sukhanov told.

The FETO SUR Inspectors explained to the crew members gathered in the mess-room that a flag of convenience vessel is a vessel registered under a flag other than the flag of the shipowner’s country. The scale of use of the flag of convenience system in the world has reached a record level: more than half of the world commercial fleet are already registered under FOCs. When recognizing a flag of convenience, seafarers' unions around the world take into account how widely foreign-flagged vessels are represented in the registry, as well as additional factors. Among them is the ability of the flag state to oversee compliance with minimum international standards on board the vessels, such as the minimum wage of an AB Seaman should not be less than $1836, and insurance compensation in case of the death during a voyage should be at least $110,000.

The FETO SUR Inspectors brought to the notice of the crew that shipowners make choice in favour of flags of convenience because of low registration fees, low taxes or none at all, and the possibility to employ cheap labor. As a rule, such registers allow for low safety standards and have not any special training requirements or restrictions on the nationality of crews.

Having heard from the Union representatives, the seafarers asked the Inspectors to send a notice to the Greek shipowner about the need to conclude a collective agreement with the Greek Seafarers' Union and fulfill all the minimum requirements regarding flags of convenience.

The Inspectors gave the crew members of MV Porto Kioni books on the rights of seafarers working on FOC vessels, the latest issues of the “Maritime Unions Herald” and the FETO SUR calendars for 2024. Also, they invited all seafarers to visit International Marine Club of Nakhodka in their spare time.

Romanian and Filipino seafarers thanked the SUR representatives for their support. They noted that solidarity will improve working conditions and raise wages for crew members working on board flags of convenience vessels.