I hope this is just the start of a crackdown. Poor people, no pay for months.
[QUOTE=Kraken;185856]I hope this is just the start of a crackdown. Poor people, no pay for months.[/QUOTE]
It has not been a start for decades, don’t count on it happening now.
I believe that in cases like this the vessel should be seized and sold with all the proceeds being divided among the crew.
Until the profit from maritime slavery is removed it will continue because no one except the ITF gives a damn and PSC only gets involved when they are publicly shamed into some minimal response.
[QUOTE=Steamer;185860]It has not been a start for decades, don’t count on it happening now.
I believe that in cases like this the vessel should be seized and sold with all the proceeds being divided among the crew.
Until the profit from maritime slavery is removed it will continue because no one except the ITF gives a damn and PSC only gets involved when they are publicly shamed into some minimal response.[/QUOTE]
It’s just too close for comfort. This practise is something you would think happened on the other side of the world, not on the vessel on the other side of the quay.
[QUOTE=Kraken;185865]It’s just too close for comfort. This practise is something you would think happened on the other side of the world, not on the vessel on the other side of the quay.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, it happens everywhere.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/seafarers/seafarersBrowse.list?p_lang=en
Google “abandoned seafarers” to see exactly where the crew stands in these cases.
[QUOTE=Steamer;185866]Yeah, it happens everywhere.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/seafarers/seafarersBrowse.list?p_lang=en
Google “abandoned seafarers” to see exactly where the crew stands in these cases.[/QUOTE]
Yes, shows the importance of international agreements and monitoring.
[QUOTE=Kraken;185867]Yes, shows the importance of international agreements and monitoring.[/QUOTE]
If only there were monitoring of some sort. Nothing ever happens until some of the crew make loud noises or there are newspaper articles about how the local church or townsfolk start delivering food to a starving crew.
The system is rigged to favor the money lenders. Notice that the bank is first in line to capture any money from the sale of what is probably a junk ship, they are followed by other creditors. I would like to see the crew placed first in line and if there is anything left, then pay the money lenders and other creditors. That would make the banks a bit more careful about who they finance and who is actually getting the money they lend. Until the financial industry stands to lose money from this dirty business it will continue.
Let’s take it even further and end the practice of invisible ownership. If the owners and officers of the owning company were made personally financially and criminally responsible we might have a more honest industry. As it stands now it is a haven for crooks, thieves, and pirates.
Malaviya Seven specs: http://www.greatoffshore.com/fleet_level3.php?cat=2&id=44
These vessels appear in Hampton Roads from time to time. I recall a Chinese box boat which arrived at APM with almost no provisions and the crew begged the stevedores for money so they could buy stores…the stevedores collected around 800 bucks for these poor guys. Then the CG got involved at that point. There are other such horror stories. Crew eating the lifeboat provisions, trying to catch fish, etc. No pay for months, or they get sick and put off the ship somewhere with no money to fly home. Shameful that this happens in this day and age!!!
It is unfortunately happening all too often. Here is one that has attracted headlines for a while, which finally has a “happy ending”: http://qz.com/707491/after-over-250-nights-on-an-abandoned-casino-ship-these-sailors-are-leaving-hong-kong-harbor/
MLC 2006 should have fixed this
This probably give the reason for the debacle in Aberdeen:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/dvb-bank-secures-nod-to-sell-six-vessels-of-debt-laden-gol-offshore/
It is NOT an excuse though.