Australia Bans Bulk Carrier Over Underpayments to Crew
MV Agia Sofia (ex-spouse-Trade Spirit). File Photo: MarineTraffic.com/ iwan afwan
Officials in Australia have actually prohibited a Liberian- flagged ship from going to Australian ports for 6 months after uncovering that the ship’s team had actually been held back pay in infraction of worldwide maritime labor legislations.
Inspectors with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority boarded Marmaras Navigation’s MV Agia Sofia at Hay Point in Mackay this past Saturday after getting an issue through the International Transport Workers’Federation During the examination, AMSA discovered proof that some seafarers aboard the ship had actually not been paid their salaries completely given that August 2019.
The AMSA claimed the superior salaries completed AUD $45,000 (United States $32,000), making up a violation of their employment contract under the Maritime Labour Convention.
AMSA Acting General Manager Operations Michael Drake noted it had not been the very first time the delivery business, Marmaras Navigation Ltd, had actually been captured underpaying team in Australian waters.
“In January 2018 AMSA detained another company ship, Koundouros, at Port Walcott for owing its seafarers more than AUD $7500,” claimedDrake “The operator was fortunate that AMSA did not ban Koundouros at the time and those seafarers were paid their outstanding wages before the ship was allowed to leave.”
“Bringing a second ship, Agia Sofia, to Australia with the same breach is inexcusable and has left us with little choice but to ban this ship from Australian ports,” Drake included.
In overall, Agia Sofia is currently the 3rd ship in the last twelve month to be prohibited by AMSA for falling short to pay seafarers their salaries completely as well as promptly.
Drake additionally kept in mind just how seafarers, particularly currently, currently making substantial sacrifices by being far from their liked ones for extensive time periods simply to maintain important worldwide profession relocating.
“Abusing their most basic rights to be paid for the work they are doing is shameful behavior on the part of this shipping company,” Drake claimed.
