Rogue ferry firm located

THE International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) has finally tracked down a Russian company which it believes has not paid crew members of a ferry for up to four months.

Ken Fleming of the ITF said he has made contact with St Petersburg crewing agents Unimar and it has admitted not paying crew members on the Merchant Bravery vessel for work done.

The ITF has found that crew members are earning as little as €2 per hour and it is estimated that more than €200,000 is owed. Some of the seafarers have provided the union with double contracts, one with the salary which they should be getting paid and the other with the actual amount that they are being given.

Mr Fleming said the company did confirm it had paid some money into the seafarers’ accounts but not all that they were owed.

The ITF representative tracked the company down through trade unions in Russia and made contact over the internet yesterday.

“I am confident now we are talking to the people who are guilty and have the resources to sort this out,” he said.

While Mr Fleming is happy that he now has the company which he needs to be talking to, the level of co-operation he has received has meant he is still very much considering getting legal representation ahead of having the boat arrested.

He said that may be the only option if by the end of the weekend he is not in a position to personally oversee the remuneration of all those crew members who are owed money.