CASES
Thailand: ITF answers seafarer’s plea for help
In January 2025, an engineer emailed the owner of the ship he was on and the ITF to complain about not being paid. He was instructed by the company to copy in ISU-Lanibra. After not hearing back he emailed the ISU’s “protection” email address, desperate for help:
“I have a problem with the company Eleen Marine regarding my December wage. I email the company every day, but they doesn’t [sic] pay me my salary for December and doesn’t [sic] even answer my letters. Can you help me please.”
At no point did any ISU-Lanibra representative reply. After the ITF intervened, the seafarer received his owed wages of more than USD 2,000 at the end of February.
REPORT
Thailand – Eleen Neptune (IMO 9430844): non-payment of salary
January 2025
After failing to receive their December salary, an engineer from the Eleen Neptune emailed the ship owner, copying in the ITF, on 16 January 2025. The engineer said they had contacted the ship owner via WhatsApp but received no reply.
In an email sent on 24 January 2024, the seafarer copied in the ITF and, as instructed by the ship-owning company, Branko Krznaric, Lana Krznaric and Nina Krznaric as well. Notably, Nina Krznaric has no stated role with ISU – she only has a role with Lanibra, highlighting that from the company’s perspective, ISU and Lanibra are one and the same.
Then, in a further attempt to receive support, on 12 February 2025, he emailed the ISU’s “protection” email address, which supposedly enables ISU-Lanibra to support and protect seafarers. He said:
“I have a problem with the company Eleen Marine regarding my December wage. I email the company every day, but they doesn’t [sic] pay me my salary for December and doesn’t [sic] even answer my letters. Can you help me please.”
At no point did any ISU-Lanibra representative reply. After the ITF intervened, the seafarer finally received his owed wages of more than USD 2,000 at the end of February.
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 – […]
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.
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.