The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has raised serious concerns over the operations of Middle East Marine LLC, a Dubai-based ship management company, characterizing it as “the worst case of serial seafarer abandonment ever seen.” This situation involves the systematic neglect and abuse of over 100 seafarers from various countries, including India, Indonesia, and Myanmar.
Since November 2022, the ITF has documented more than 17 incidents of abandonment across 18 vessels in regions such as Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. The affected seafarers are enduring extremely poor living conditions, suffering from issues such as contaminated drinking water, food shortages, and the withholding of essential items like passports and medication. Furthermore, many crew members have been denied access to medical care, leaving their health at significant risk. Unpaid wages compound their difficulties, with reports indicating that some seafarers have gone without pay for up to seven months. One Indonesian seafarer outlined the dire circumstances, stating that they often resorted to fishing for food and reaching out to families who are now burdened with debt as a result of the crew’s financial hardships.
The gravity of the situation violates the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, which stipulates that seafarers should be compensated at least once a month. When crews are owed wages for two months or more and are provided insufficient resources, they are recognized as having been abandoned. This should trigger intervention from insurers and the vessel’s Flag State—in this case, Palau. However, the ITF has noted a troubling lack of response from Palau’s maritime authorities regarding these serious allegations.
Steve Trowsdale, ITF’s Inspectorate Coordinator, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that seafarers’ lives should never be treated as mere collateral in corporate operations. Middle East Marine’s actions have drawn widespread condemnation, with Trowsdale branding the company a “stain on the global maritime industry.” Sandra Bernal, ITF’s Network Coordinator for the Asia Pacific Region, also expressed shock at the extreme exploitation faced by these seafarers, describing their living and working conditions as akin to modern-day indentured servitude, marked by lack of pay, inadequate living conditions, and insufficient legal protections.
The ITF is urging both the UAE government and Palau’s maritime authorities to intervene and uphold international maritime and human rights laws, highlighting the need for urgent action to prevent further suffering among these vulnerable workers. The organization’s calls for accountability underscore the broader implications for labor rights in the maritime industry and the need for enhanced protections for seafarers globally.
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