Four crew members on board a Cambodian registered freighter docked in Cork are to be paid over $60,000 (€38,000) in arrears following representations by the International Transport Federation.
The three Ukrainians and one Russian are among a crew of nine of the freighter, Defender, who are owed over $92,500 (€58,000) in back pay since December by Latvian shipping company, Forestry Shipping.
The ship has been in Cork Port since it was impounded by Customs officers last week after it was found to be carrying up to 45,000 cigarettes that were not in the cargo manifest. The declared cargo on board was timber.
International Transport Federation inspector Ken Fleming of Siptu said the Russian captain was only earning $3,500 a month, instead of the $6,000 rate he is supposed to receive. Mr Fleming said the Chief Officer had been paid a total of $1,250 since January and the cook only $100 since the start of the year.
Mr Fleming said an examination had discovered that crew-members were owed a total of $92,500.
Mr Fleming said another five members of the crew have signed documents presented to them at the weekend by the shipping agency representative, declining ITF representation and agreeing to receive their pay when they return to their home port of Riga in Latvia.
"We are at least securing payment of their arrears for the four crew members who held the line and insisted on their right to be represented by the ITF. All four have also asked to be repatriated to the Ukraine and the ITF is making arrangements to fly them home," he said.
