It's good when everything is fine with documents

You can avoid unnecessary problems and protect your rights by timely documents processing and applying for help to the trade union. A Kaliningrad resident, who completed his work under a contract in the position of Fitter/Welder on board a Russian-flagged vessel, had firsthand experience of it. The seafarer faced a delay in crew change and problems with repatriation. Moreover, the lack of a Schengen visa compounded the situation. 

The vessel has been waiting for loading at an anchorage in Denmark for more than a month and a half, and local authorities refused to assist the seafarer to sign-off from the vessel. After two additional extended contracts, he ran out of patience and applied for help to the Kaliningrad Regional Organization of the Seafarers' Union of Russia. 

Thanks to negotiations between SUR and the company, it was possible to arrange the return of the seafarer to his homeland. -

 As soon as the seafarer applied to us, we contacted the company. It turned out that, indeed, they failed to obtain a visa, and the most convenient option to repatriate the seafarer was to embark him on another vessel heading to Kaliningrad. The company met us halfway, and the issue was quickly addressed, - the KRO SUR Chair Lyudmila Izmalkova said. 

She added that crew change delays of 2-4 weeks are not uncommon. If the individual contract has expired and the crew change is delayed, the seafarers must sign an additional agreement, even for a short period. It is essential that everything is fine with documents.

Otherwise, remaining on a vessel will be deemed unlawful, which may cause problems with paying wages and compensation in the event of an accident, - Lyudmila Izmalkova explained.