The back pay amounted to around USD 90,000 for 20 seafarers on board 12 Kent vessels
The importance of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC) for protecting the rights of seafarers has been evident since it came into force in August. Now the “seafarers’ bill of rights” has been applied by a flag of convenience state that has not yet ratified the convention – Belize – to ensure that crew members have been paid their back wages due.
ITF inspectors in Russia and Ukraine approached the Belize authorities with concerns that Russian and Ukrainian crew members on ships owned by a Turkish company and flagged in Belize had not received their wages. The back pay amounted to around USD90,000 for 20 seafarers on board 12 Kent vessels. In some cases, the seafarers had been signed off the vessels with wages still outstanding.
The Belize authorities responded with action to aid the biggest group, five crew members on the Palladiy, while it was en route to Azov in Ukraine. Belize ordered the vessel to be stopped (with a prohibition from sailing notice) “until all outstanding wages are totally paid” – the wages due to the five men amounted to USD29,029. The prohibition was only to be lifted after the ITF confirmed evidence of payment.
Belize also said it would take similar action against the other vessels in the fleet unless they too paid up.
Source: ITF Seafarers
