SUR Primary Organization of Vladivostok assisted seafarers to receive RUB 21.8 million payments

Seafarers – the members of 21 crews - received about RUB 22 million of debts with assistance of the Vladivostok Primary Organization of the Seafarers' Union of Russia - the trade union committee summed up the results of its work in 2023. During the reporting period, 117 vessels were inspected. Chairman of the Vladivostok Primary Organization of the Seafarers' Union of Russia Petr Osichansky added that 4 seafarers and 78 cadets of the Maritime State University named after Admiral G.I. Nevelskoy joined the Union in 2023. Thus, at the end of last year, the SUR Primary Organization of Vladivostok consisted of 1063 people, including 895 seafarers working on board foreign vessels, 43 crew members of Russian-flagged vessels, 125 cadets, and six public sector employees.

The trade union committee works in close cooperation with government bodies. Thus, in March 2023, another meeting on the issue of assistance to seamen and fishermen in recovering of back wages, including a discussion on the application of the Maritime Labor Convention 2006 (MLC), was held with the participation of Harbour Masters and bailiffs at the Primorsky Transport Investigation Department and the Primorsky Transport Prosecutor’s Office.

In June,  in the office of the Vladivostok Primary Organization of SUR, the Assistant Transport Prosecutor B.Zh. Boroev arranged  a round table with participation of a representative of the Human Rights Ombudsman in Primorsky Region. The participants reported the outcomes of the supervisory activities of the prosecutor’s office in the sphere of compliance with the labor rights of maritime transport workers. Also, a lecture on “Compliance with the labor rights of seafarers when paying wages” was held to the participants. 

In October, a meeting was held with the Assistant Transport Prosecutor R. A. Yevtushenko on the issues of further joint work on protection of seafarers' rights.

– The trade union committee sent to the Prosecutor’s Office documents regarding  MV “Mirai” (flag of Togo): the sister of the deceased 2nd Engineer for the second year could not obtain compensation from the company for the death of her brother. The Prosecutor's Office managed to obtain from a Japan-registered company the contract and the missing documents to secure the insurance  payout. As a result, the family received insurance payout in accordance with the contract signed by the seafarer, - Peter Osichansky said.

Besides, the trade union committee actively worked with the consuls and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vladivostok and with the Human Rights Ombudsman.

Seminars on international conventions of the International Labor Organization and the International Maritime Organization contribute a lot to a successful work of the Vladivostok Primary Organization of SUR. Petr Osichansky noted that today the MLC 2006 is one of the most effective conventions that allows efficiently address the issues that seafarers face in a pre-trial order.

-Our participation in seminars within the framework of cooperation with maritime port authorities helps our organization to get assistance from the port state control on troubled vessels and to provide effective assistance to seafarers, - he emphasized.

In 2023 only, 18 seminars were held with a total duration of 68 hours - they were attended by 379 people.

The Vladivostok Primary Organization of SUR pays special attention to working with cadets. In 2019, the Chairman of our organization held several meetings with D.V. Burov, the head of the Maritime State University named after Admiral G.I. Nevelskoy, and members of the University's Department of Tutorial Work with cadets. Following the meetings, several joint projects have been developed and implemented. Thus, in 2023, the projects “Professional Basics”, “Literary mess-room”, “Master Class”, “Maritime Dynasties” continued, within the framework of which experienced seafarers  - Captains and Chief Engineers - held meetings with junior cadets. It should be noted that the Vladivostok Primary Organization of SUR  provides scholarships to six cadets annually since 2020.

-To receive the scholarship, the cadet must be a member of the Seafarers' Union of Russia, to study well and to be engaged in civic activities, - Osichansky explained.

In 2024, cadets of the 11th company of the Faculty of Navigation and Communications Maxim Dobrunov, Vadim Kasyanov, Nikita Kubarev, Artur Mukhamedzyanov, Bogdan Tkachenko, as well as Daniil Slinkov from the 12th company, became the SUR scholarship recipients. Throughout 2024, they will receive a scholarship from SUR in the amount of RUB 5,000 per month.

Following an active work with cadets, 78 of them joined the Vladivostok Primary Organization of SUR in 2023. In total, at the end of the year, the Vladivostok Primary Organization of SUR included 130 cadets of the Maritime State University named after Admiral G.I. Nevelskoy. At the end of 2023, the 100th member of the SUR shop trade union joined   the organization –  the cadet of the 11th company, Egor Chagin.

Photo – Dr. Leonid Kozlov, http://l-e-kozlov.narod.ru