CASES
BRAZIL: SEAFARERS ABANDONED WITHOUT PAY
An international crew of seafarers on the Eleen Eva were abandoned in Brazil – and subject to wage theft of USD178,000.
They reached out to ISU, but no one ever replied.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) stepped in to help: the seafarers were repatriated and received their stolen wages in full.
REPORT
Brazil – Eleen Eva (IMO 9527415): abandonment December 2024
The bulk carrier, Eleen Eva, was abandoned in Paranaguá, Brazil, en route to San Lorenzo, Argentina. It was sailing under a Liberia flag and an ISU-Lanibra agreement, with a crew of 20 seafarers from India (7), Ukraine (5), Indonesia (3) Bulgaria (2), Türkiye (2) and Russia (1).
The ship was abandoned on 1 December 2024, and despite the crew trying to contact ISU, they received no reply.
On 2 December, the ITF recorded the abandonment and notified the flag state, and by the end of January, the ITF recovered a total of USD 178,000 in wages owed to the crew.
CASES
UK: Illegal wages in P&O scandal
On 17 March 2022, 786 seafarers were summarily dismissed by British company P&O Ferries to be replaced by a far cheaper agency crew.
Greece: “Defamation, illegal acquisition, accepting the products of crime”
The Greek union, the Panhellenic Seaman’s Federation, has filed a lawsuit against ISU President Ludvik Jesenicnik.
Finland: stolen wages, ISU binned
Finland is a hot spot for trade union action against ships with ISU-Lanibra agreements: the Finnish Seafarers’ Union (SMU) has taken action against ships from 2018 through to today. In one case, after a ship docked in Rauma in 2020 and refused access to an ITF inspector who was made aware of crew complaints, the […]
Sweden: blockades scrap ISU deals
Sweden’s Service and Communications Union blockaded a bulk carrier that tried to dock in Uddevalla with an ISU-Lanibra agreement.
Australia: Fair Work Ombudsman investigates underpayment on ISU-Lanibra ships
If the complaints are upheld by the regulator, the companies could be subjected to heavy fines, compliance notices or litigation.
Thailand: ITF answers seafarer’s plea for help
At no point did any ISU-Lanibra representative reply. After the ITF intervened, the seafarer received his owed wages.
Israel: Sham union agreement, stolen wages
Three months after failing to pay a seafarer in Thailand, the same ship – still under a sham ISU-Lanibra agreement – was abandoned in Israel.