Four SIU International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) inspectors recently secured a total of $186,000 in back wages for the foreign crews of three vessels.SIU ITF Assistant Coordinator Enrico Esopa along with SIU ITF Inspectors Arthur Petitpas, Tony Sacco and Shwe Tun Aung came through for the mariners in March.
“Unfortunately, back-wage claims are nothing new aboard some foreign-flag ships,” Esopa said. “Many foreign mariners are afraid to come forward because of (potential) retaliation by the shipowners, but the crews have a great ally in the ITF and its inspectors. When given the chance, we can help.”
In early March, Petitpas met with mariners aboard the Malta-flagged SafMarine Douala in Camden, N.J. after receiving written complaints from the Filipino crew alleging double bookkeeping (meaning they were paid a lower rate than what their contract called for). The crew also said they had been forced to work unpaid overtime.
Petitpas quickly secured a written agreement from the ship manager (Ormos Compania Naviera of Greece) including not only back pay, but also a one-month wage bonus. He subsequently met with the crew in Norfolk, Va. and supervised the payment of more than $53,000 in back wages.
Aung then met the vessel in Houston to check on the final payments (totaling more than $24,000) and repatriation. He also successfully fought off alleged attempts by the ship’s master to blacklist the crew.
Later that month, mariners aboard another Malta-flagged ship operated by Ormos (the Alice) contacted the ITF after learning that the SafMarine Douala crew had received back pay. At the Red Hook terminal in Brooklyn, N.Y., the Alice crew told Esopa that they also were owed money by the company.
In this case, Esopa the next day secured more than $30,000 in back pay for the crew, along with repatriation for five Filipino crew members.
Finally in March, Sacco met with Ghanaian crew members of the British-flagged ship Kent Trader in Georgetown, S.C. after receiving a report from the ITF’s London-based headquarters. The mariners were concerned about unpaid wages.
Sacco contacted the new fleet manager in Germany and secured back pay according to the ITF contract, along with a bonus and repatriation that were promised to the crew if they sailed the vessel to the next port (Halifax, Nova Scotia). In total, the mariners received more than $78,000.
The ITF is a federation of more than 550 transport workers’ unions, including the SIU. Those unions represent more than 4.5 million workers in 130 countries.
SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel serves as vice chair of the ITF’s Seafarers’ Section.
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