Chinese Crew Starving Aboard Ship Docked in U.S. Port
A dockers’ union based in the US has been working with the ITF to assist the crew of a vessel that arrived in a US port last month.
The Liberian-flagged Sider Pink was seized by US marshalls in Sacramento in October as a result of a court order involving a financial dispute.
Members of the ITF-affiliated International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 18 sprang into action when they learned that the ship lacked sufficient food provisions and that the crew members were desperately hungry. They raised US$800 to purchase groceries, which they delivered to the crew.
The predominantly Chinese-speaking crew also reported that their pay had been withheld; they had resorted to eating seaweed to avoid starvation.
Meanwhile, when ITF west coast coordinator Jeff Engels, who had been liaising with relevant parties on behalf of the crew, arrived on the scene, he found that the coast guard agency had already noted the absence of sufficient provisions.
He concluded that the ship owner had violated the terms of the ITF collective bargaining agreement covering the vessel by failing to pay the crew properly; the company finally bowed to pressure and paid the outstanding back wages and agreed to cover the total costs of food provision.
Engels said that the owners were bound to be more careful before attempting to cheat the crew again “because ITF inspectors are stationed at ports around the world and we can track the Sider Pink as she travels the globe.” He credited ILWU Local 18 members for their quick action and “front-line solidarity.”
Ray Familiathe, ILWU vice president, said: "The deplorable conditions on board the MV Sider Pink along with the seafarers’ cry for assistance allowed ILWU dockers to show their commitment to the ITF's flags of convenience campaign. Seafarers arriving in US west coast ports can be assured that dockworkers are ready to provide solidarity assistance when ship owners don't treat seafarers fairly."
---