Responsible companies ensure decent working conditions on board the vessels

Vessels with very decent working conditions stillcall Vladivostokdespite the background of ongoing troubles among local shipowners. In the first ten days of February ITF inspector Petr Osichanskiy inspected three vessels and practically each of them are notable with decent working conditions and wages.

So on board thepanamax bulk carrier Texel Island (dwd 61453) owned by a Hong Kong shipowner and flying the flag of Hong Kong everything is fine. The vessel is fix for shipment of steel products.Texel Island which will follow in Vancouver( USA) is manned by 17 crewmembers, 8 of whom are Chines and 9 are Filipinos. Since 2012 the vessel was covered by the IBF agreement but it was ceased in September 2019. According to the captain the company negotiates to conclude a new agreement and it will be renewed just the other day. As for the captain’s salary - he receives $ 8630, the boatswain - 1928, and the AB - $ 1801. Another bulk carrier visited by inspector is handisize bulker Port Botany (dwd 28,470) also flying the flag of Hong Kong.The 2012 build vessel is in excellent condition and supplies fertilizers to Taiwan. The crew consistsof 22 people, mostly Filipinos including the captain, but the chief mate is from Russia and the chief engineer is from Ukraine. The Hong Kong shipowner pays the captain $ 8760, the chief mate’s salary is 8250$ andAB’s is1680$.

The third vessel which was visited by an inspector was the containership FescoMagadan. There are 17 crewmembers on board, all of them are Russians. Previously the ship belonged to the German company India Schiffahrts GMBH and since 2009 she was covered by the IBF agreement. Since 2019 the vesselis owned by the FESCO transport group. The vessel now is flying the Russian flag and is covered by National agreement. The technical condition of the vessel is good, the crew is happy with their salaries,no complaints arose during the inspection.All crewmembers were provided with fresh issues of the Maritime Union Gerald in Russian and in English.