The cargo ship, “MV ONDA,” was seized off the port of DAKAR, Senegal by four seafarers with support from the International Workers’ Federation (ITF). The seafarers were not paid for the past few months which pushed them to take this drastic measure.
The four-person crew of the MV ONDA was struggling to have the ship’s engine repaired. The requests for help were repeatedly ignored by the port authorities of Dakar, Senegal, in violation of the Maritime Labor Conventions.
The ship has been left adrift in a busy shipping lane, making it prone to collisions with other ships passing by at night. To make matters worse, the MV ONDA’s engine is not functional, and there is no electricity to power the warning lights.
The control systems of the ship are in a dangerous state of disrepair, and the lifeboats are unusable. The ITF had to intervene multiple times and deliver food to the sailors.
Observing the escalating situation, the ITF approached a Senegalese court on behalf of the crew and had the ship legally seized. The court granted their request. Currently, the vessel remains seized, and the owner must pay over $84,000 in owed wages to the crew for the ship to be released. In this case, the seizure of the ship means that the owner cannot use the ship until all debts are settled.
The owners allowed the registration of the ship to lapse, which means the ship is currently without a flag state. There have also been disingenuous attempts by the ship’s owner and their lawyers to persuade the crew to resume operations. The ITF has advised the crew not to accept any deals without consulting them first.
The owners have been notified after the seizure of the ship. The ITF intends to have the ship auctioned off to recoup the losses of the sailors incase the owners continue to be unresponsive.
The opinions expressed herein are the author’s and not necessarily those of News2Sea.
#Seafarers #Seized #Cargo #Ship #Unpaid #Wages