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Clock ticking on Fowey ship arrest

A crew of 12 are said to have been living in “unhygienic and filthy” conditions aboard the Panamanian-registered Munzur. Photo:

A ship detained at Fowey for safety and accommodation failings will face arrest at 5pm today unless the owners pay the crew the wages they owe them.

The Panamanian-flagged, Turkish-owned vessel Munzur was detained by the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency for multiple failings.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation is assisting the crew, most of whom are desperate to leave the unhygienic and filthy vessel and return home.

A shower booth on board the Manzur. Credit: The International Transport Workers’ Federation

There are 12 crew members, from five different nationalities.

They report that all except one of them were being paid below the minimum, with one earning less than £240 per month. At least five of them haven’t been paid since they joined the vessel early this year.

A fridge on board the Manzur. Credit: The International Transport Workers’ Federation

The crew is owed over nearly £21,000. Nine of them no longer want to sail on the vessel and have asked the ITF to legally challenge the company on their behalf and secure the owed wages and repatriation costs.

The contracts of employment onboard are in breach of many Maritime Labour Convention regulations, and there are allegations that payment was made to secure employment.

Living conditions are appalling, with the vessel having no hot water at the time of arrest, no washing machines, filthy bed linen, low levels of fresh food, unsafe electrics and a sanitary system which relies on a 45 gallon drum full of sea water.”

We have given the company a deadline of 17:00 today to pay the crew and organise repatriation. Failing that this vessel will have to be arrested.

– Darren Procter, International Transport Workers’ Federation
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Ship faces "arrest" over unpaid crew in poor conditions