FRANKFURT, Jan 23 (Reuters) – Germany’s air traffic controllers will hold a one-hour strike on the morning of Jan. 29 in a show of support for other European colleagues taking strike action, which could cause widespread disruption to travellers.
ITF, NZ inspector Grahame McLaran told IHS Maritime an inspector would be boarding the vessel when it arrived in Auckland on 26 January.
“I can tell you the vessel has unresolved matters uncovered by the Australian ITF Inspectorate,” McLaran said.
The ITF Australia told IHS Maritime the Chinese crew on board the vessel were owed around $200,000 in home allotments, with its previous Indonesian crew also under paid.
Ship owner Wisdom Marine Lines however denied the claims.
“Everything is fine,” Sam Huang, Wisdom Line, told IHS Maritime. “We never underpaid the crew and that is it. Thanks for your concern.”
Matt Purcell, ITF, said he boarded the vessel in Melbourne and spoke with the crew.
“All I can say is why aren’t they giving us any evidence of home payments for this crew and the previous Indonesian crew on this vessel and the Daiwan Wisdom. I’d say all up the crews are short of around $300,000,” he said.
“I wasn’t surprised to hear about the incident in Port Tarnaki,” Purcell said. “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. If the crew are in a bad way, usually the ship is too.”
On 20 January, the ships crew and port workers were evacuated and the Port Taranaki, New Plymouth on New Zealand’s North Island shut down after smoke from a chemical leak contaminated the port and harbour.
Maritime New Zealand told IHS Maritime they were inquiring into the smoke incident before deciding on whether to conduct a full investigation next week.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority was unable to return IHS Maritime enquiries today.