If the shipowner isn't willing to come in to contact, he has something to conceal

The owner of the vessel "Erna Oldendorff" (IMO 9717670) prohibited the crew to speak with representatives of the Union on the topic of wages. “Taking into account that the ship is flying the flag of Malta which is considered a flag of convenience, and there is no collective agreement on board, it is likely that thereby the employer is trying to conceal  unduly low wages of crew”, -  says Nikolai Sukhanov, Chairman of the Far Eastern Territorial Organization of the Seafarers' Union of Russia (SUR FETO).

The Seafarers' Union of Russia is going to send a note to the management of the company "Oldendorff Carriers Gmbh & Co", indicating the need to conclude an ITF approved agreement  at the nearest port of call - Vancouver.

“Shipowners use a flag of convenience to take advantage of low registration fees, small taxes or their absolute  absence. Thereby shipowners get the opportunity to  hire cheap labor and avoid responsibility. These registers provide for low safety standards and doesn't set any restrictions on the nationalities of crew. As a result, the crew members can not communicate properly, because they speak different languages”, - Nikolai Sukhanov says.

When registering a vessel under a flag of convenience, a genuine connection with the beneficial owner is often lost, so in any critical situation the employer can simply disappear and abandon seamen without any support.

Fortunately, the “Erna Oldendorff” has  necessary certificates of insurance in respect of shipowners' liability for compensations and repatriation. However,  these certificates are not sufficient. In case the inspection in Vancouver reveals the violations of the seafarers' labor rights, the “Erna Oldendorff” could be detained.