A vessel with a foreign crew was detained in Nakhodka

The crew of the dry cargo vessel Fore (IMO 8355504, flag of Sint Maarten), which had been detained at Nakhodka, received their wages for June and July. This was reported by the Chairman of the Primary Organization of Vladivostok of the Seafarers' Union of Russia, Petr Osichansky. 

Earlier, 13 citizens of Vietnam, Myanmar, and Indonesia applied to the Seafarers' Union of Russia for assistance: they reported that they had not been paid for more than three months, the shipowner had disappeared, and the dry cargo vessel was detained at Nakhodka due to a record number of violations forbidding its sailing. 

According to Petr Osichansky, who was contacted by the crew, the vessel arrived in Primorye at the end of June, and in mid-July it was inspected by the Port State Control. The results of the inspection were shocking: Russian inspectors identified 80 deficiencies! 

— I have never heard that 80 deficiencies were identified on one vessel. Of these, 49 are with the code "30", which automatically means a ban on going to sea until the violations are corrected, and the vessel must be inspected by a Register inspector to ensure the quality of the work performed. Another 27 deficiencies are with the code "17", which must be corrected before going to sea, - Petr Osichansky said. 

He added that the Port State Control recognized the vessel as substandard, that is, unfit for safe navigation. In fact, the dry cargo vessel Fore is stuck at anchor at Nakhodka for an indefinite period. All this indicates that the working and living conditions on board the vessel do not comply with the Maritime Labor Convention, and any of these 49 deficiencies with the code "30" identified by the PSC constitute non-compliance with the requirements of the Convention, including the rights of seafarers. 

There are two Vietnamese, five Indonesians and six Myanmar citizens on board the dry cargo vessel. Since June, they have been unsuccessfully trying to contact the shipowner. At the time of the appeal to the SUR, according to the captain, the total amount of debt reached $68,500. 

- According to the Maritime Labour Convention, if seafarers have not received wages for a period of at least two months, they are considered abandoned (Standard A2.5.2, subparagraph 2(c)) and have the right to repatriation (Standard A2.5.1 subparagraphs (b) and (c)) with full repayment of the debt, but not more than four months, - Osichansky explained. - If the owner of the vessel does not fulfill his obligations - in this particular case, does not pay wages, at the same time does not provide adequate food, accommodation, fresh water, fuel and medical care (Standard A2.5.2, paragraph 5) - all this is grounds for applying to the insurer. 

With the advice of the Chairman of the SUR Primary Organization of Vladivostok, Petr Osichansky, the ship's captain sent an official letter to AMT Insurance LLC (Moscow), which is the insurer of the risks concerning wages and repatriation of the crew, with a demand to pay off all wage arrears and arrange the repatriation of the seafarers to their homeland. 

Today, the SUR Primary Organization of Vladivostok has received information that the agent - a representative of the shipowner - transferred money to the crew, however, only for June and July. We will add that the Fore crew also complained to the trade union about poor living conditions. Besides, problems with food and fresh water are impending - at the time of the last appeal, there were about two weeks' supply of food, water and fuel left on board. 

- The Fore crew are citizens of the countries that are actually exploited. They are low-paid sailors who are not paid even the little money they have earned with their hard work. For example, the salary of a sailor on the dry cargo vessel Fore is $750, the captain's is only $4,500, which is extremely little if compared with present standards, - the Chairman of the Primary Organization of Vladivostok of the Seafarers' Union of Russia, Petr Osichansky emphasized.