Four crew of detained ship leave with wages pledge

THE International Transport Federation will this morning begin to repatriate four of the nine crew of a Latvian vessel currently detained in Cork Harbour.

The seamen due to leave the 1,600 tonne Defender cargo ship have signed power of attorney over to the ITF to recover an average of $15,000 (€9,500) from the boat’s owners, Forrestry Shipping.

The rest of the crew have taken up the company’s promise that they will be paid in full if they immediately renounce all ties with the ITF. The company’s management team sent one of its superintendents on board the ship overnight on Sunday night.