Russian seafarer thanked SUR for help

Today, the Far Eastern Territorial Organization of the Seafarers’ Union of Russia received a message from the Chief Engineer in which he reported that he had got from Singapore to Moscow, and thanked heartily SUR for prompt assistance in addressing the issue of his repatriation. 

The seafarer signed a contract for work on board the bulk carrier Butinah (Liberian flag, IMO 9494046) with Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement Ltd for the period from December 15, 2023 till April 14, 2024. When it was time to sign-off from the vessel, the company offered the seafarer to extend his employment contract, but the Chief Engineer refused. When he realized that nobody was going to replace him at the nearest port of call, he turned to the union for help. 

Having received that message from the seafarer, FETO SUR immediately contacted SUR Foreign Relations Department, which sent a letter on violation of the collective agreement to the company. In addition, SUR gained the backing of colleagues from the Singapore Seafarers' Union to assist the repatriation of the Russian seafarer. The very next day, a letter arrived from the Chief Engineer that ran a replacement had been arranged for him: Singapore had become a convenient port to sign-off. 

SUR reminds: a collective agreement is the most reliable protection during a voyage. This is evidenced by the situations that crew members sometimes confront.