The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) last month announced that the claims of 700 mariners on the Greek-flagged Olympia Explorer and Olympia Voyager have been settled after six weeks of work by the federation, which applauded the cooperation with the owners and bank.SIU ITF inspector Scott Brady played a key role in helping multinational crew members from the Voyager. Overall, mariners from both vessels received more than $5 million in back pay and severance. They have been repatriated.
The ships remain arrested in the ports of Long Beach and Miami, respectively, following demands by creditors—among them German state bank KFW, the ships’ mortgage holder—that the owners pay all outstanding debts.
The ITF said it is working to settle outstanding claims for Greek crew members who are on leave, and may need to intervene legally on their behalf. According to the federation, ITF representatives are on board both vessels in support of ITF affiliate the Pan-Hellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO), and are seeking to secure an amicable resolution with the owners, Royal Olympic Cruise Lines, and KFW.
“The responsible role taken on by both the owners and the bank played a significant part in reaching this settlement. We hope the outstanding claims for the crew members on leave will be similarly resolved,” said Steve Cotton, secretary of the ITF’s Special Seafarers’ Department.
After crew members from the Voyager contacted Brady, he boarded the ship in Port Everglades, Fla. and stayed there for nearly two weeks, negotiating with a shipping manager appointed by the owner. “They were long and grueling, round-the-clock negotiations, but the ITF and the entire crew showed solidarity from day one and prevailed,” Brady stated.
The Voyager crew—from Greece, the Philippines and several Eastern European nations—received $2.5 million in back wages and severance.
The ITF is a federation of 621 transport trade unions (including the SIU) in 137 countries, representing approximately 5 million workers.
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