An improperly completed sign-off report could prevented an injured cadet from receiving due payments.

The Kaliningrad Regional Organization of the Seafarers' Union of Russia (KRO SUR) assisted a cadet who could forfeit compensation for an occupational injury due to an error in his report. He suffered the injury during shipboard training on a Norwegian vessel. Initially, the shipowner refused to pay the cadet sick leave, even though he was required to do so by the collective bargaining agreement. He cited the fact that the report didn't indicate the signing off from the vessel was for medical reasons. All necessary payments were paid to the seafarer following the union's assistance in submitting an accurate report. 

According to the cadet,  he sprained his leg after about a month and a half of work on board the vessel. At the first port of call, the captain neglected to call a doctor, believing the injury to be minor. Only several days later, when the cadet's condition had not improved, was he was sent to a doctor at the next port.

The doctor documented the injury, prescribed treatment, and officially suspended the young man from work for a month. After this, the cadet submitted a sign-off report but didn't indicate that he was being discharged from the vessel for medical reasons. The seafarer was sent home, where he immediately filed for an electronic sick leave certificate and began to wait for the company to pay his sick leave. When a month passed and the payment didn't come through, he turned to the KRO SUR for assistance.

The trade union noted that this situation had raised a particular astonishment. Firstly, the cadet was employed through a reliable crewing agency with over 20 years of experience and a good reputation. Secondly, the vessel operated under a collective bargaining agreement with a Norwegian trade union, which clearly outlines the payment procedure in the event of an accident. Thirdly, the cadet had all the necessary medical documents: a doctor's report and a sick leave certificate.

Only after examining the cadet's sign-off report did it become clear that the denial of compensation for his injury was due to an error in the cadet's report. 

"The text indicated that the cadet was unilaterally terminating his contract because he considered it impossible to stay on board the vessel, not least because of the failure to provide timely medical care," Lyudmila Izmalkova, KRO SUR Chair, said. "It wasn't clear from the report that the signing-off was due to medical reasons related to the accident during the voyage."

With the assistance of the KRO SUR, the cadet drafted a legally correct report to the crewing agency and the shipowner, enclosing all the necessary documents. "And after that, the company faithfully fulfilled its obligations, promptly transferring the entire amount owed to the young man," Lyudmila Izmalkova concluded.

Having grasped the importance of professional support, the cadet joined the Seafarers' Union of Russia. The union provides comprehensive assistance in complicated situations, including drafting the correct documents and providing legal support.

Photo: Ttracy/Own work/CC BY 3.0