NO PAY IN SIGHT
26 Indian crew members go home, while 12 remain
Indian sailors leave stranded ships with six months’ wages still unpaid,
DUBAI // Twenty six Indian sailors have disembarked from two oil tankers after being stranded for more than two months off the coast of Kandla, in western India.
They were embroiled in a row over unpaid wages and a legal dispute between Ajman-based Gulf Shipping Services, which owns the tankers, and Nautical Global Ship Management, a chartering company based in Dubai.
A sailor who tried to leap into the sea on Tuesday because he could not provide for his family was among those being repatriated on Wednesday.
However, there was still no clarity on the payment of wages owed for six months of work.
Twelve sailors, including four Pakistanis, remain on board Nautical Global VII and Nautical Global XVI after assurances from the recruitment company in Mumbai that they could soon leave as well. “The man who wanted to jump was the first to go off board. Conditions at his home are pathetic because he has had no money to send [ to his family] and they have little food to eat. Now at least he will be home with his family,” said Capt Suchittar Kumar Sharma of Nautical Global XVI. He is out of six men remaining on Nautical Global XVI.
“The men were getting desperate. They have empty pockets and their families are suffering. They were relieved to leave. ‘Happy’ is not a word that can be used,” said Capt Sharma.
Food supplies and fresh water were sent to both vessels on Wednesday.
“I can’t comment on the wages because a court case is going on. The court will decide about the salary,” said Aishwarya Pilankar, managing director of Nautical Global Ship Management’s office in Mumbai.
“The crew have filed a case in court for their salaries and answers will be given in court. Seventy per cent of [the men] are off the ship and for the remaining 30 per cent it will be done soon.” The company had said that clearance to get the sailors to disembark took time. The sailors were stuck on board the tankers for about 80 days after the tankers were “arrested”, or restricted to the area, on February 27 by an Indian high court order. The court issued its order after Nautical Global Ship Management filed a maritime claim for damages against Gulf Shipping Services. Nautical Global Ship Management has detailed damages to machinery and equipment leased by Gulf Shipping Services, and petitioned the court to arrest the tankers because Gulf Shipping Services would not pay for the damages.
The crew of both tankers have also filed a court petition for payment of their wages.
When food supplies ran low last week, the sailors raised a distress call, and a charity sent a boat with supplies of lentils, rice, bread, flour and eggs to aid them. Although the sailors had sought assurances about payment of their wages before disembarking, the prolonged stand-off, isolation and meagre food supplies prompted most of them to leave.
“Emotionally, it has been difficult for the men. They had hoped they would have money in the bank after working for so many months, but now they just wanted to go back [home],” said Capt Michael Kochikaran of the Nautical Global VII.
Joseph Chako, from the Kandla Seafarers Welfare Association, said the wellbeing of the sailors should be cared for.
“It is a very pathetic situation. It was a jail- like situation on the ship, but even in jail you get food. Here, they were even deprived of food for some time. Their welfare must be looked at because they are in a distressed state. They don’t know what their future holds,” he said.
The crew of both tankers have filed a court petition for payment of their wages