The Hindu Business Line : Workers’ body comes to abandoned tug crew’s rescue

Kochi, July 10 The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) Inspectorate at Kochi Port has come to the rescue of five Sri Lankan crew of an abandoned tug that drifted in the high seas and reached the Kochi coast.

Based on a petition filed by ITF Inspectorate and Cochin Port Staff Association, the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court here ordered detention of the tug, M T Malakas, at Kochi Port till further orders.

The petitioners sought wages, sustenance and repatriation of the crew under Section 145 of the Merchant Shipping Act from the owner of the vessel.

They had also prayed for a direction to the vessel owner to provide $64,550 as back wages to the crew and $25,000 as compensation, along with repatriation.

The ITF, according to its Web site, is an international trade union federation that, among others, provides assistance to transport workers in difficulty.

Mr Thomas Sebastian, ITF Inspector, said the nine-member crew was left in the lurch from August 10, 2008, after the engines of the vessel developed a technical snag and were damaged. After being in the high seas without power, the crew sent an SOS message, which was picked up by the Netherlands vessel, Svitzer Salvage BV Co. Though Svitzer Salvage waited for five days, the Iranian owner of M T Malakas did not allow the tug to be towed to the nearest port.

In due course, the shipping agent of M T Malakas here arranged for towing of the vessel to Kochi after getting direction from its owner. Meanwhile, the Holland-based Svitzer Salvage demanded $1,65,000 from the Iranian owner of M T Malakas for its efforts for five days in high seas keeping M T Malakas in anchor. Later, they approached the Mumbai Admirality Court when the Iranian owner refused to give the money, and got a detention order.

During the course of legal proceedings, the Iranian owner repatriated four of the crew members, including the Master and the Chief Engineer, but the remaining five were subjected to exploitation and sufferings even after they requested for wages, food and water.

After finding no response from the owner, the crew approached the ITF Inspectorate, which submitted before the court that the condition of the crew was pitiable as the owner had abandoned the vessel.

ITF counsel had prayed to the court that if their wages are not paid the court should issue a distress warrant and order the sale of the ship to recover the wages and repatriation.

More Stories on : Shipping/Ports | Courts/Legal Issues | Kerala

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