The thousand and one ships

In Kaliningrad the inspectors of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) checked the  working and living conditions  of  seafarers  on the  board of thousand and one ships over a decade. By the way, one  hundred  of ships per year  is   a norm  for  ITF inspector  in any port of  the  world.

The  most interesting point was  that  officials  had to visit the Marshall Islands-flagged Navin  Kestrel (IMO 9381811). The ship caught their  attention  in Kaliningrad in 2011. At the  time  the  crew consisted  of Russian and Cape Verdian  seafarers. There were wage  arrears  and  the  seafarers demanded  to back home. The  situation was  in the  spirit  of     the  flag of  convenience. The  labour  dispute were resolved after the  strike and  negotiations. Navin Kestrel with another  crew on board steered the  South course  and  got  out  of  the ITF and SUR sight after crossing  the  Gibraltar.  

Now the  ship has  returned to Kaliningrad. She  has a new owner, her  crew consists  of Turkish and Georgian seafarers who are paid  the  other  wages. For example,  a  seaman receives $1,100.

Reference:   The  ITF  office   in Russia includes  five  inspectors: the ITF coordinator   in Russia Sergei Fishov  and the  port inspectors, among them are Kirill Pavlov (St. Petersburg), Vadim Mamontov (Kaliningrad), Olga  Ananina (Novorossiysk) and  Pyotr Osichansky (Vladivostok). In 2017 the ITF inspectors in Russia returned to seafarers $4,689,367 of unpaid wages  and  checked 521 vessels.

Vadim Mamontov, ITF inspector  in Port of Kaliningrad and the chairman at the Kaliningrad Regional Organization  of the  Seafarers' Union of Russia (SUR KRO).