ITF alleges cheating of crew wages for ship docked at Liverpool

News Release International Transport Federation (ITF) October 7, 2011

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<A
name=OLE_LINK1></A><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:date w:st="on" Year="2011"
Day="7" Month="10">7 October
2011</st1:date><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
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The ITF is alleging that the German operator of the 8,971GT
Gibraltar-flagged container vessel Philipp (previously known as the Beluga
Meditation) has been caught operating a double book-keeping system on the vessel
in order to cheat the Filipino crew of their rightful
wages.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
The alleged scam was discovered by ITF/Nautilus union inspector
<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Tommy Molloy</st1:PersonName> during a routine
inspection of the vessel in <st1:place
w:st="on">Liverpool</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
“We often suspect double book-keeping is being operated on vessels we
inspect”, said Molloy, “but it is unusual to get both sets of accounts – the
fake accounts showing what the crew should be getting paid, and the real
accounts which show they actually get paid approximately a third of what they
should. I was also able to get hold of home allotment records – showing wages
paid into banks – which were much less than those shown on the fake accounts.
The amount of wages the crew had been cheated of was over
USD230,000.00.”<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Confronted with the evidence, both Vega Friedrich Dauber GMBH &
Co KG and its subsidiary, Vega Manila Crewmanagement Inc, had no option but to
admit to the discrepancy, and agreed to make payment in <st1:place
w:st="on">Liverpool</st1:place> on 4th October.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
“Mr Vicente Fedelicio of Vega Crewing in the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Philippines</st1:place></st1:country-region>
arrived on the vessel the night before,” Molloy continued. “In our opinion, the
only reason for his presence was to intimidate the crew into handing their money
back once we had left the vessel. He did not want us to know he was on the
vessel the night before and both he and Captain Meyn of Vega Reederei
strenuously denied he had been on board before the morning of the 4th
October, even though we had seen their names in the visitors’ book when we
boarded. Later, when leaving the vessel after payment had been made we noted
that the relevant page from the visitors’ book had been ripped
out.”<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Captain Meyn of Vega Reederei signed a formal letter of indemnity
stating that no action would be taken against any of the crew by the company or
any of its associates and that no attempt would be made to induce the crew to
return the wages recovered. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
But <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Tommy Molloy</st1:PersonName> was
concerned that the crew were being threatened, and hours later he decided to
return to the vessel. He asked the Port Police to accompany him in order to
check on the welfare of the crew.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
“When we arrived back on board it became immediately apparent that
the company had taken back the wages they had so recently paid out. The company
did not deny they had the wages back but insisted the crew had returned the
money voluntarily. When questioned all but two of the fifteen crew, some barely
able to speak and all with heads bowed, staring at the floor, stated they had
voluntarily returned their wages as they did not want them! The same crew had
been delighted to receive their wages only hours earlier.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
“In my opinion, a high level of threat and intimidation has been
levelled at the crew. I explained to Captain Meyn and Mr Fedelicio that an
employer has a duty to ensure that the employee is paid in accordance with their
contracts of employment and if they are offered the wages back by the employee
as a ‘gift’ any decent employer would refuse and would insist his employee take
the wages they are rightfully entitled to. But clearly, being decent seems to
form no part of their agenda.”<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
“We will follow-up in subsequent ports in order to check on the
welfare of the two crew members who courageously decided to hold on to their
recovered wages.”<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Tommy
Molloy</st1:PersonName> added:
“The <st1:place w:st="on">Gibraltar</st1:place> registry has been swift to
respond to the situation and has said that it is ‘appalled at the reports’ and
will investigate fully to establish whether any action by them is necessary.
They clearly do not want to be associated with behaviour of the type that we
believe has taken place in this case.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
“We have advised the charterers of the situation and we will be
contacting various supermarkets who are likely customers for the fresh food
produce carried, in order to discuss their corporate responsibility policies.
Fair trade should also extend to the workers who actually transport the goods
from one place to another as well as to the growers. We would like to know if
such companies are happy to tolerate the kind of abuse we believe we have
uncovered here.”<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
The ship left <st1:place w:st="on">Liverpool</st1:place> on 4th
October en route for <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Bilbao</st1:place></st1:City> and <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Dublin</st1:place></st1:City> and is due to return to
<st1:place w:st="on">Liverpool</st1:place> on 11th
October.<o:p></o:p>
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