Sailors to be paid €250k and allowed to go home
According to the International Transport Federation (ITF), the Clipper Faith was arrested by Netherlands Bank on Mar 12 in a dispute over a mortgage default with the London-based owners of the Belize-flagged boat, Sea Management Woodford Green.
Crew members from the vessel approached the ITF when the dispute arose.
ITF co-ordinator for Britain and Ireland Ken Fleming this week sought an order for appraisal and sale of the vessel after the bank guaranteed to pay the crew’s arrears and also to pay for a replacement crew to take over the Clipper Faith within 21 days.
In return, the crew members agreed to subrogate their lean on the wages to the bank.
Arrears stood at $238,000 to the end of Mar 2013 and were mounting at a daily rate of $1,844 so that they totalled $321,000 (€247,361) by May 10.
The proposal put forward by the ITF will allow the crew to return home, with their money, and allow the bank to resolve its dispute with the ship’s owners.
Mr Fleming said: “We are delighted with the settlement and the ITF would like to thank Judge Butler for granting the subrogation ... It is good to see the courts vindicating the rights of workers who were innocent casualties of a battle between two large business corporations.”
