A crew in distress

When a ship was arrested in the Port of Tilbury for non-payment of wages, the AOS port chaplain was onhand to offer support. He soon discovered that other abuses were taking place

The M/V Ljubljana arrived in the port of Tilbury on 3 November 2005 carrying a cargo of Latvian coal destined for British power stations. The crewmembers, who were mainly from Burma, had already been onboard for ten months. In Tilbury, they complained to the ITF that they had not received their wages. Consequently, the ship was arrested. For the crew, this meant that they were unable to come ashore.

AOS Port Chaplain Father Paul Boagey was on hand to offer support to the crew. Visiting the ship two or three times a day, he brought phone cards and other practical items. He was also able to provide a listening ear, gaining the trust of the crew and encouraging them to voice their grievances. Seafarers are often reluctant to speak out about abuses of human and labour rights. There is a widespread belief that doing so leads to “blacklisting” by manning agents, effectively ending the seafarer’s chances of future employment at sea.

Father Paul heard that, in addition to the withholding of wages, the crew had been subjected to verbal abuse and racism. They claimed that they were denied adequate warm clothing, food and breaks during shifts. It was also alleged that representatives of the manning agents had visited the seafarers’ families at their homes in Burma. They had tried to intimidate the families, saying that the seafarers would be imprisoned abroad if they caused trouble.

AOS chaplains can often play a mediating role. Father Paul liaised with the ITF inspectors on behalf of the crew. On this occasion, the ITF was able to ensure that the rights of the seafarers were respected. A few days later, the crew received a settlement of US$194,000. This constituted their unpaid wages in full and the costs of repatriation to Burma.

Father Paul Boagey and the crew of the Ljubljana