Global daily news 22.07.2011

Missing sailors' families cry for help

 22 Jul 2011, 0919 hrs IST
MV Ocean Star, a Korean flagged ship sank off the Oman coast over a month back and out of the seven Indian sailors on board four is still missing. The shipping company yet to take any action or inform the families in Chennai and the Centre is silent too. By each passing day, families of sailors are growing more and more anxious. Anxious to know about the fate of four Indian sailors missing since this ship met with disaster.

MV Ocean Star set sail from Pakistan on June 11th. The ship was heading to Iran but on the way it got caught in a cyclonic storm and sank off the coast of Oman on June 26th. On board were ten sailors including seven Indians. But one man, Daniel Jones, who was also on the ill fated MV Ocean Star, recounts how he was lucky to escape from the ship wreck. “We were living on a lifeboat for 10 days on only biscuits. Later a German ship rescued us and took us to the coast in Dubai. From there we came back to India.”

Four Indian sailors among them Sahayaraj and Xavier are still missing but the shipping company has not even contacted their families. Sreekumar, ITF, Chennai, said, “We have apprised of people in MEA and DG shipping, we hope they will revert back in two days. Shocking that owner did not inform family.” Unless somebody in Govt takes notice, uncertainty over the fate of their loved ones will continue to haunt these families.
 
 
 
 
 
FROM THE BBC:
 

Norway: Blast near prime minister's office in Oslo

A large explosion has hit near government headquarters in the Norwegian capital Oslo.

The blast is thought to have caused damage to the offices of Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and a number of other official buildings.

There are conflicting reports over whether Mr Stoltenberg was injured - initial reports said he was unharmed.

At least eight people were injured in the city centre explosion, local media reports.

Television footage from the scene showed rubble and glass from shattered windows in the streets - smoke was around some buildings.

All roads into the city centre have been closed, said the NRK newspaper.

Oistein Mjarum, head of communications for the Norwegian Red Cross, said his offices were close to the blast.

"There was a massive explosion which could be heard over the capital Oslo."

Mr Mjarum said there were fires burning in the 17-storey prime minister's building.

Eyewitness Ole Tommy Pedersen said he was standing at a bus stop about 100m away from the blast.

"I saw three or four injured people being carried out of the building a few minutes later," Mr Pedersen told AP.

He said there was a cloud of smoke billowing from the lower floors.

An NRK journalist, Ingunn Andersen, said the headquarters of tabloid newspaper VG had also been damaged.

"I see that some windows of the VG building and the government headquarters have been broken. Some people covered with blood are lying in the street," Associated Press news agency quoted him as saying.

"It's complete chaos here. The windows are blown out in all the buildings close by."

 

 

FROM FAIRPLAY DAILY NEWS:

 

Greek ferry strike postponed


Piraeus passenger port
GREEK seamen told Athens today they will not strike during the rest of the summer to oppose government plan to cut their pensions.

But the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO) said in a statement that shipping minister Harris Pamboukis will have respond to its demands by the end of August.

The PNO’s pledge followed weeks of uncertainty; the federation had threatened to block passenger ships from leaving Greek ports during the last week of July.

“With this decision, the federation has given the country’s political leaders enough time to come up with the solutions PNO is requesting,” it said.

Its no-strike-soon decision was partly taken so workers would not be adding to burdens the beleaguered Greek population is already bearing, said the PNO, which pointed to “a time of concern and uncertainty”.

A €109Bn ($155Bn) package was granted to Greece today by eurozone leaders. Cutting seamens’ pensions has been part of the Greek government’s unpopular austerity measures, which have been demanded by the EU and IMF in return for the bailout.

 

OTHER LANGUAGES

 

 

FROM NORDJYSKE (DENMARK):

 

 

***Søfolk strandet ved Skagen

 
 
  • 22. juli 2011 15:07
  • Af:
 
19 søfolk har været strandet ud for skagen i to måneder.

I over to måneder har 19 søfolk været strandet ud for Skagen, mens rederi og leverandør skændes om en gæld på 275.000 US dollars. Det skriver Fagbladet 3F.

Sagen startede den 13. maj, hvor tankskibet Hartzi fik fjernet tilladelsen til at sejle videre på grund af manglende betaling for skibsolie. Da det cypriotiske rederi der ejer skibet, er i økonomiske problemer, er skibet indtil videre tilbageholdt.

- Det er ganske enkelt grotesk. I forvejen har søfolkene været af sted i elleve måneder. Og nu sidder de og venter på at komme væk fra skibet, siger skibsinspektør Morten Bach fra det Internationale Transportarbejder Forbund (ITF) til Fagbladet 3F.

Men det ser ud til, at hjælpen måske er på vej til de 12 russere, fire ukrainere og tre filippinere på skibet. Et norsk rederi er gået ind i forhandlingerne om at overtage driften af skibet og dermed sikre, at søfolkene kan få løn og komme hjem.

 

TRANSLATION:

 

Sailors stranded by Skagen

     22nd July 2011 15:07
     by:


19 sailors have been stranded off the cake in two months.

For over two months, 19 sailors were stranded off the coast of Skagen, while shipping and supplier arguing about a debt of 275,000 U.S. dollars. It writes Journals 3F.

The case began on 13 May, when the tanker was removed Hartzi authorization to proceed due to lack of payment for shipping oil. Since the Cypriot company which owns the ship, is in financial difficulties, the ship is so far withheld.

- It is simply grotesque. I already have the sailors been away for eleven months. And now they sit and wait to get away from the ship, says inspector Morten Bach from the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) to the trade journal 3F.

But it appears that help may be on its way to the 12 Russians, four Ukrainians and three Filipinos on ship. A Norwegian company has entered into negotiations to take over operation of the ship and ensuring that sailors can get paid and go home.

 

FROM TV2 NORD (DENMARK) ALSO EKSTRA BLADET, DR, :

 

 

***19 søfolk strandet ud for Skagen

19 søfolk strandet ud for Skagen
Fotograf: Rune Borre-Jensen

Regionale nyheder: I over to måneder har 19 søfolk været strandet ud for Skagen, mens rederi og leverandør skændes om en gæld på 275.000 US dollars.

22. jul 2011, kl. 14:33 | Af: Rune Borre-Jensen

Sagen startede den 13. maj, hvor tankskibet Hartzi fik fjernet tilladelsen til at sejle videre på grund af manglende betaling for skibsolie. Da det cypriotiske rederi der ejer skibet, er i økonomiske problemer, er skibet indtil videre tilbageholdt. Det skriver Fagbladet 3F.

- Det er ganske enkelt grotesk. I forvejen har søfolkene været af sted i elleve måneder. Og nu sidder de og venter på at komme væk fra skibet, siger skibsinspektør Morten Bach fra det Internationale Transportarbejder Forbund (ITF) til Fagbladet 3F.

Men det ser ud til, at hjælpen måske er på vej til de 12 russere, fire ukrainere og tre filippinere på skibet. Et norsk rederi er gået ind i forhandlingerne om at overtage driften af skibet og dermed sikre, at søfolkene kan få løn og komme hjem.

 

 

FROM 24 CHASA (BULGARIA):

 

***Наши моряци бягат със сал и лодка

 
Публикувана: Петък, 22-ри Юли 2011, автор(и): Искра Сотирова; прочитания: 528; коментари: 0
Наши моряци бягат със сал и лодка

Корабът "Сий уинд" Снимка: Архив

Глад принуди български моряци да бягат от кораба "Сий уинд".

Рулевият Митко избягал със сал към Бразилия. Други наши четирима моряци и един украинец напуснали съда с лодка. Причината за бунта е неплащане на заплати, дългите дни без вода, храна и постоянните арести на кораба. Авантюрата на моряка върху сала завършила благополучно с мащабна операция по спасяването му с бразилски вертолети и катери.

Собственик на кораба е скандалната фирма "Арго меритайм" със седалище Варна. За бягството на моряците алармира капитанът Николай Симеонов. Той пътува на кораба повече от 2 години и чака 80 000 долара заплата. За ситуацията край Бразилия е написал писмо за помощ и до премиера Бойко Борисов. Капитанът твърди, че корабът е арестуван пред бразилското пристанище Форталеза.

В агенция "Морска администрация" нямат информация "Сий уинд" да е бил арестуван. "Възможно е обаче той да е блокиран от ITF - най-големия моряшки профсъюз в света, заради сигнала за неплатените пари", казва Сергей Църнаклийски, шеф на агенцията.

Собственикът Станчо Савов отрича да дължи заплати на екипажа. Той обвинява Симеонов, че сам е организирал бунта, след като е бил уволнен. "Капитанът сътвори прецедент в морската практика. Той отклони кораба и вместо в Марина Декарере, Италия, го закара във Форталеза", казва Савов. Той не отрича, че избягалите моряци са се прибрали по родните си места в България и Украйна. Казва, че "Сий уинд" е задържан заради неплащане на гориво.

Морската компания стана известна с неспирни инциденти на корабите си. Миналата година боцман и моряк умряха на 13 август на борда на "Лудогорец" от прекомерните жеги край Аден. "Сий уинд" пък удари немски кораб при маневра в Алжир и стоя арестуван няколко месеца.

Моряците и от двата кораба още чакат заплати от "Арго меритайм". Екипажи постоянно търсят помощ, защото са оставени без вода, храна, пари и гориво. Тъй като корабите плават под чужд флаг, българските власти не могат да направят много. Моряците не четат добре договорите си, в които пише, че спорове с фирмата се решават в Лондон по британското законодателство.

 

 

FROM B-PORT:

 

***Редкий случай. В Калининградском порту объявил забастовку экипаж голландского сухогруза

Редкий случай. В Калининградском порту объявил забастовку экипаж голландского сухогруза

Сухогруз "Navin Kestrel" принадлежит нидерландской компании "NYKI SHIPPING BV". Моряки, среди которых граждане России и Украины, не получали зарплату с мая. Они отказались продолжать путь и обратились за помощью в Калининградскую инспекцию ITF (Международная федерация транспортников), сообщает «РГ».

Как сообщили в инспекции, после переговоров с нидерландским отделением, заключившим коллективный договор с компанией, часть зарплаты была выплачена. Однако на этом судовладелец прекратил общение с моряками. Тогда те заявили, что судно не уйдет в следующий рейс, пока их не рассчитают полностью.

Пока "Navin Kestrel" с грузом находится в калининградском порту. Помимо зарплаты, судовладельцу придется выплатить и материальный ущерб морским властям порта. При заходе в Калининград на сухогрузе исчезло электричество, и судно налетело на мол входных ворот.

 

 

FROM KALININGRAD FIRST (RUSSIA):

 

***В порту Калининграда бастует экипаж голландского судна


Янтарный Край - газета Online Калининград.

В Калининграде в порту экипаж голландского теплохода Navin Kestrel объявил забастовку.

Интернациональный команда, которая состоит из русских, украинцев, граждан республики Кабо-Верде и матроса из Филиппин не получает зарплату по 2-3 месяца.

 

Забастовка заключается в том, что люди не будут пускать на судно замену, и не будут следовать далее по курсу до тех пор, пока им не выплатят долги, причитающиеся по контракту и коллективному договору ITF.

Общая сумма задолженности экипажу теплохода Navin Kestrel колеблется от сорока до семидесяти тысяч долларов.

 

FROM KOMPAS (BULGARIA):

 

***Български моряци бягат от
арестуван в Бразилия кораб

 

Печат Е-мейл
Оценка: / 0
СлабОтличен 
Автор Компас   
21 July 2011 17:08

 Image

Моряците от кораба "Сий уинд" на варненската компания "Арго меритайм" отново имат проблеми, този път на бразилското пристанище Форталеза, съобщава DarikNews. 

Плавателният съд е арестуван от местните власти, тъй като не са покрити всички задължения за гориво към бразилската страна. Това е потвърдил корабособственикът пред Изпълнителна агенция "Морска администрация", съобщи за Дарик шефът на ведомството кап. Сергей Църнаклийски.
От "Арго меритайм" са казали, че са постигнали договореност със собственика на товара да се разплатят така, че корабът да бъде освободен и да продължи пътя си към Италия.
Корабособственикът е признал, че има неизплатени заплати на моряците, но е обещал да се изплати към екипажа веднага щом товарът бъде закаран до крайната точка, каза още кап. Църнаклийски.
От "Морска администрация" не могат да осъществят връзка с капитана на кораба Николай Симеонов, защото телефонът има ограничени входящи повиквания. Пред тв "Черно море", която разгласи за случая, кап. Симеонов е заявил: "Собствениците са ни изоставили, не ни плащат заплати и ни кандърдисват всеки ден да си тръгнем без тях. Има хора, които не са получавали пари от 8 месеца, на други не е платено от 2, а на някои им се дължат пари от 2 години вече. Оставаме без пари. До 5-6 дни ще останем без гориво и тогава не знам какво ще става. Няма да има ток, няма да има нищо". За случая е уведомен синдикатът ITF.
Заради условията на кораба един от моряците е успял да избяга със сал, а други четирима - с лодка. По последна информация избягалият със сала е бил върнат на плавателния съд от бразилските власти. Останалите четирима - трима българи и един украинец, са се прибрали по родните си места. "Доколко е вярно, не мога да потвърдя. Така казват", посочи кап. Църнаклийски. По думите му на техните места са изпратени други хора, които ще ги сменят.

 

FROM SEVERN INFORM (RUSSIA):

 

 

ЭКОНОМИКА

***В порту Калининграда объявил забастовку экипаж голландского теплохода с русскими и украницами на борту

В Калининградском порту объявил забастовку экипаж теплохода "Navin Kestrel" (флаг Сент-Винсенте), принадлежащий нидерландской компании "Nyki Shipping BV". Как сообщил сегодня, 21 июля, корреспонденту ИА REGNUM инспектор МФТ-ITF в порту Калининград (Международная федерация транспортных рабочих - International Transport Workers Federation) Вадим Мамонтов, сначала забастовку объявили пятеро судовых офицеров (русские и украинцы). "Прочая часть экипажа, филиппинский матрос и четверо нижних чинов из республики Кабо-Верде, колебались, - продолжил Мамонтов. - Вчера моряки созрели полностью".

По словам собеседника ИА REGNUM, у интернационального экипажа проблема общая: задолженность по зарплате с мая 2011 года. "Экипаж предыдущий зарплату до сих пор не получил: русские и филиппинцы были списаны с борта и ушли с расчетными листками в зубах", - отметил Мамонтов.

По данным собеседника ИА REGNUM, при заходе в Калининградский порт в конце прошлой недели "Navin Kestrel" протаранил мол, в результате чего морские власти порта Калининград предъявили судебный иск о взыскании с судовладельца материального ущерба.

В свою очередь инспекция МФТ в Калининграде готовит иск от имени экипажа для обращения в суд.

 

 

UNION/LABOUR RELATED MEDIA:

 

FROM THE SIU:

 

 

***ITF Protests Japan Airlines Job Losses (7/22)

 

 

The International Transport Workers’ Federation has issued the following news release, dated July 22, and accompanying photo. The snapshot is from this week’s London visit and shows (from left) Gabriel Mocho, ITF; Rhys McCarthy, Unite (Britain and Ireland’s largest union); Mr. Igarashi, counselor, international transport section, Japanese embassy; and Mr. Matsubara, first secretary, economic section, Japanese embassy.

 

ITF protests JAL job losses

 

The ITF has protested to the Japanese government over the forced dismissals of workers at Japan Airlines (JAL) – even though workforce reduction targets had already been met through voluntary redundancy.

 

ITF and Unite the Union representatives this week visited the Japanese Embassy in London to hand over a resolution passed by ITF aviation unions requiring the Japanese government to intervene to halt the dismissals and ensure that the company abides by national and international law and consults with workers and their unions when considering any such substantial job cuts.

 

Gabriel Mocho, ITF civil aviation secretary, commented: “Despite having met the set personnel reduction targets JAL has gone on to impose swingeing compulsory redundancies – ignoring efforts by unions to discuss ways to reduce labor costs. The ITF and its member unions are supporting our colleagues in Japan who are taking the company to court and to the ILO (International Labor Organization) over this matter.”

 

This was the first in a number of visits to Japanese embassies that will be made by ITF-affiliated unions. The resolution delivered to the Japanese embassy and government reads:

 

Madrid 21, 22 June 2011

Dismissals in Japan

 

ITF affiliated organisations attending the Joint Alliances Unions’ Meeting have been informed by affiliate Japan Airlines Cabin Crew Union (CCU) that their members, together with members of the ITF affiliate Koku Rengo and the Japan Airlines Flight Crew Union (FCU), have been strongly affected by the measures put in place by the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan (ETIC-J), established by the Tokyo District Court to reduce the number of employees in Japan Airlines (JAL) to 32,600 by the end of March 2011.

 

Despite a series of voluntary schemes, which have already fully achieved the workforce reduction target, the company decided unilaterally that compulsory dismissals were necessary to secure a further 81 flight crew and 84 cabin crew job reductions by 31 December 2010.

 

In the case of cabin attendants, neither the CCU nor JALFIO, the relevant member organisation of Koku Rengo, received any approach from JAL management to negotiate on the workforce reduction. The management rejected negotiations on how dismissal could be avoided through work-sharing and voluntary furlough. Whether or not it was the intention, the net effect of using this procedure was to secure the dismissal of a disproportionate number of workers including part of the leadership of the unions.

 

We believe that within the provisions of Convention 98 on the right to collective bargaining, of Japanese law and of the existing collective bargaining agreements within JAL, the company management should have entered into negotiations in good faith with the representatives of the workers to find an agreed process for reducing the JAL workforce to the level called for by the court.

 

We also believe that, through negotiations with all the unions involved, JAL should have ensured that the employment reductions were achieved through voluntary redundancies and not by compulsory dismissals.

 

In order to deal with the immediate problem of forced dismissals that include union leaders and its effect on freedom of association in Japan, we demand the Japanese Government to intervene urgently to withdraw dismissals and secure negotiations on an agreed basis to complete the workforce reduction.

 

 

FROM 3F:

 

Skibet Hartzi har siden 13. maj ligget ankret op ud for Skagen på grund af gæld. Søfolkene er strandede uden løn eller mulighed for at komme hjem. Foto: marinetraffic.com

***19 søfolk strandet ud for Skagen

I over to måneder har 19 søfolk været strandet ud for Skagen. Nu er der måske hjælp på vej.

Vente, vente og vente.

Det er hverdagen for 19 søfolk, der har været ankret op ud for Skagen siden den 13. maj.

I over to måneder har søfolkene kunnet se passivt til, mens rederi og leverandør skændes om en gæld på 275.000 US dollars.

Grotesk ventetid

Sagen startede den 13. maj, hvor tankskibet Hartzi fik fjernet tilladelsen til at sejle videre på grund af manglende betaling for skibsolie.

Men da det cypriotiske rederi der ejer skibet, er i økonomiske problemer, er skibet indtil videre tilbageholdt.

Siden har slagsmålet bølget frem og tilbage, mens søfolkene hverken har fået løn eller mulighed for at rejse hjem.

- Det er ganske enkelt grotesk. I forvejen har søfolkene været af sted i elleve måneder. Og nu sidder de og venter på at komme væk fra skibet, siger skibsinspektør Morten Bach fra Internationale Transportarbejder Forbund (ITF) til Fagbladet 3F.

Hjælp på vej

Ifølge skibsinspektøren måtte man i sidste uge bringe vand ud til skibet, da der ikke var mere vand ombord.

- Endnu engang ser vi, at søfolkene bliver ladt i stikken, mens rederierne løber fra deres økonomiske ansvar. Det er en uanstændig måde at behandle sine medarbejdere på. I over to måneder har de siddet på et skib ud for Skagen uden mulighed for at komme væk, siger Morten Bach, der de sidste dage har ligget vandret for at sikre, at søfolkene kan komme hjem til deres familie.

Men det ser ud til, at arbejdet giver pote. For hjælpen er måske på vej til de 12 russere, fire ukrainere og tre filippinere på skibet.

Et norsk rederi er gået ind i forhandlingerne om at overtage driften af skibet og dermed sikre søfolkene løn og billetter hjem til deres familie.

 

 

TRANSLATION:

 

The ship has since Hartzi 13th May remained anchored off the coast of Skagen on account of debt. The sailors are stranded without pay or the opportunity to come home. Photo: marinetraffic.com
19 sailors stranded off the coast of Skagen

For over two months, 19 sailors were stranded off the coast of Skagen.
Now perhaps there's help at hand.

Kristian Jessen, magazines 3F kristian.jessen @ 3f.dk

Wait, wait and wait.

It is everyday for 19 sailors who have been anchored off the coast of Skagen since 13
May

For over two months, the sailors could look on passively while the shipping company and supplier arguing about a debt of 275,000 U.S. dollars.
Grotesque latency

The case began on 13
May, when the tanker was removed Hartzi authorization to proceed due to lack of payment for shipping oil.

But when the Cypriot company which owns the ship, are in financial trouble, the ship has so far withheld.

Since that fight, waved back and forth, while the sailors has not been paid or the opportunity to travel home.

- It is simply grotesque. I already have the sailors been away for eleven months.
And now they sit and wait to get away from the ship, says inspector Morten Bach from the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) to the trade journal 3F.
Help on the way

The inspector had to last week bring water out to the ship, as there was more water on board.

- Once again we see that the sailors left destitute, while the lines running from their financial responsibility. It is a shameful way to treat its employees.
For over two months they have been sitting on a ship off the coast of Skagen without the opportunity to get away, says Morten Bach, the last days has lain horizontally to ensure that sailors can come home to their families.

But it seems that work paying off.
For help is perhaps on his way to the 12 Russians, four Ukrainians and three Filipinos on ship.

A Norwegian company has entered into negotiations to take over operation of the vessel and thereby assure seamen wages and ticket back home to their families