Striking ship’s crew secure new conditions

THE Russian and Filipino crew of a ship refused entry to Dublin Bay yesterday have secured guarantees of double their existing pay and a halving of their working hours.

Their vessel, the Miriam Borchard, was the second foreign boat in two days to enter Irish waters and begin industrial action over pay and conditions.

The Miriam Borchard was refused entry by port officials amid fears the boat would be tied up there by the crew in protest at pay.

The seamen contacted the International Transport Federation (ITF) in advance of reaching Dublin to complain about crewmen’s pay.

After the boat was refused entry to the port it sat offshore and ITF inspector, Ken Fleming travelled out to it on a pilot vessel.

He then held three hours of negotiations with London-based Borchard Line.

Those negotiations secured an agreement from the company to reduce the basic working hours from 300 a month to 150 and agreement on overtime.

That will raise the crew’s monthly pay from $850 (€636) to $1,550 (€1,160).

“I see these disputes as the start of a fightback against the race to the bottom. It will be one hell of a battle, but it is one we intend to win,” said Mr Fleming.

In Greenore, Louth, the Latvian ship Fortuna I has been strike bound since Monday because of a strike by crew for arrears of pay. It is carrying a cargo of steel bars for Irish industrial and construction operations.

Mr Fleming is due to return to Greenore today to try and resolve the dispute, involving 11 seafarers.