LIVESTOCK SHIPS NOT TECHNICALLY ABANDONED

TradeWinds reported on 5 April that nearly 200 seafarers on the Ghena, the Bader III and Zein I were reported as abandoned in different parts of the Atlantic by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and owed at least two months’ wages.

A lawyer for Hijazi & Ghoshen Co (H&G), the Jordan-based firm that directly owns the Bader III, as well as the other two ships at group level, acknowledged delays in crew payments. However, he disputed that any of the ships had ever been abandoned in the legal sense of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), and said that full crew payment is forthcoming.

Speaking of the Bader III, a vessel reflagged to Panama this month, the lawyer Tim Cocks said: “We have received confirmation on 12 April from our clients that the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) has accepted full payment of the crew so that the Bader III is now in full MLC compliance. However, according to TradeWinds, a ITF representative contacted by them disputed the company’s account for the Bader III, which is in Venezuela, saying the crew has only received promises of March wages but nothing in cash to date.

H&G accused the ITF of waging “a sustained and vigorous campaign of attack” to “discredit” their vessels. Hmmm interesting.....attacked on all fronts it seems - seafarer and animal welfare...

See: https://www.tradewindsnews.com/esg/livestock-carrier-owner-dismisses-ilo-abandonment-reports/2-1-1203134
Note: the photo with the article acknolwedged as being from Tom Dawkins ALEC....proudly showing the loading of an emaciated sheep onto some unstated vessel in South Australia...so much for the Virtual Tours eh?