AZRAQMOIAH
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54 days ago
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Outstanding wages to be paid
The master of the "Azraqmoiah", who campaigned on behalf of the crew to get their outstanding wages said that Elite Way Marine Services subsequently repaid the crew between 40-60% of their wages. In the recent case where the crew members abandoned the vessel in a life boat, the Coastguard immediately called the owner, writing that the case would be resolved shortly. Shehab Mamdouh, of the law firm Fichte and Co, was in negotiations with the owner about securing the unpaid wages. The men have been offered less than 60% of what they are owed by Elite Way Marine Services, but want at least 80%. The owners have said the men should have their money by July 15, 2019.
Three ships of the same company abandoned off Sharjah
40 crew members, among them 30 Indian nationals, have been stranded at the port of Sharjah for over three years on three separate vessels, all owned by the same shipping company, the Dubai-based Elite Way Marine Services EST. The crew abandonment was reported to England-based maritime charity organization Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) by Captain Ayyapan Swaminathan, Master of the cargo m/v "Azraqmoiah", who has been left stranded on the vessel since the expiration of his contract. A similar fate was shared by the seafarers on board the deck cargo m/v "Tamim Aldar" and the offshore supply vessel "Al Nader", who were left without salaries, basic provisions, shore leave and have no communication with their families. The seafarers had their documents confiscated by the UAE authorities, depriving the mariners from the right to leave the country. In addition to poor living conditions, the "Al Nader" was experiencing power outages due to lack of fuel and was involved in a collision in October 2018 as the crew was forced to keep the ship in blackout condition. The Federal Transport Authority (FTA) of UAE has been made aware of the case and has since taken legal action and banned Elite Way Marine Services EST in UAE on the grounds of seafarer abandonment. The case was filed on Aug 26, 2018. The owner and managers of the ships told the authority that they planned to sell the ships to resolve the issue, however, they have failed to do so until now. The captain of the "Azraqmoiah" sent another letter to FTA in November 2018, describing the dire situation of the seafarers and the danger they are facing due to night-time blackouts resulting from the lack of fuel.
Crew of the stranded Azraqmoiah awaiting rescue after two years stuck at sea
Rough seas and strong winds have delayed the rescue of 10 sailors – eight Indian, one Sudani and a Tanzanian – who have been stranded aboard the "Azraqmoiah " 50 kilometres off the UAE coast. They have been at sea for more than two years, and some have not been paid for 17 months. They claim they were collectively owed more than $250,000 in wages for their time at sea. The crew was among 40 seafarers stuck at sea on several vessels due to an ongoing legal dispute involving the shipping company. A government-appointed notary was waiting to board the ship to take crew statements and begin the repatriation process, once the winter weather has improved. According to Captain Ayyappan Swaminathan, from Tamil Nadu, India, who was currently on board the "Azraqmoiah", the 10-man crew was running out of food. The provisions have been coming every 30 to 40 days, but they had received nothing since Dec 22, 2018, from the company. The company was providing only very basic supplies – Arabic bread, rice and dhal, tea bags and sugar.” The crew did not stop work bt was doing four-hour shifts every day to keep the routines. The ship has been at sea for more than two years and has been anchored off the UAE coast since FeFeb bruary 21, 2018. The vessel was anchored near to a busy shipping lane off the Umm al Quwain coast. An emergency generator provides some limited power for cooking and air-conditioning during the day. Embassies, the Federal Transport Authority and the Mission to Seafarer’s charity have been working to help repatriate the men — many of their passports have been retained by agents. So far, almost Dh150,000 has been raised by the International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network and the MtS charity. Most of it will go towards repatriation fees. Report with photo: https://www.thenational.ae/uae/sailors-stranded-in-arabian-gulf-face-uncertain-future-1.822711
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