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M/V Aegean Princess[disputed]

IMO8025862


Abandonment ID: 00272
Ship name:M/V Aegean Princess[disputed]
Flag:Panama
7-digit IMO no.:8025862
Port of abandonment:Ajman Port, UAE
Abandonment date:29 March 2017
Reporting Member Govt. or Org.:ITF
No. of Seafarers:11
Nationalities:India(9); Myanmar(2)
Circumstances:Crew members unpaid for between 10 and 26 months. Owners are not responding to calls from crew. Limited food, water and bunkers is provided by the agent. One former crew member was sent home but without wages. Cargo remains on board, port state apparently taking no interest, problem seems to lie in a dispute between charterer and cargo owner. It is understood that the flag state has imposed a restriction order on the vessel and was to send an inspector to the vessel.
Actions taken:25 October 2017: Other
Dear Ms. Katia Sanjur,

Herewith I would like to refer to the email message as here below that I received from Ms. Katie Higginbottom of ITF today on the Aegean Princess abandonment case. I also recall that you wrote to me earlier this year on behalf of Capt. Jovani Gonzalez, deputy Director at the Panama Maritime Authority, that the Panama Maritime Authority shall retain the restrictions on this ship and shall impose legal measure sanctions due to this situation, which violates the fundamental standards enshrined in the 2006 Maritime Labour Convention.

I understand that the crew members of the Aegean Princess are still in a lamentable situation in Ajman port and also that this abandonment case concerns outstanding wages at the time of reporting (March 2017) of just USD 158,600. Therefore, I am wondering whether the Panama Maritime Authority is not in a position to expedite a positive outcome for the crew in the short term as requested by ITF and the crew since the owners seem not be willing to help them.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Jan de Boer
Senior Legal Officer
Legal Affairs Office
Legal Affairs and External Relations Division
e: jdeboer@imo.org | t: +44 (0)20 7587 3102 | w: www.imo.org




26 October 2017: Other
Dear Sirs,

We have received your email.

The Panama Maritime Authority has managed the case of this vessel and pressured both the owners and operators of the vessel to fulfill their obligations regarding the payment of wages and repatriation, although to date they have not complied, so the PMA had to proceed to sanction the vessel.

We require the Master to send us an updated crew list to date which contains all crew members currently on board the ship including information of domicile (Country and City for repatriation) of each member.

Please send the wages owed to be sent to the shipowner.

We will do our best effort to resolve this situation.

Awaiting for the information,

Best Regards,



Mrs. Marilyn Maylin
Maritime Labour Affairs Department
General Directorate of Seafarers
Panama Maritime Authority
Phone: (507) 501-4232 | labormar@amp.gob.pa www.amp.gob.pa



Other
Attempting to negotiate with owners, liaison with flag state.
Repatriation status:17 February 2018: Repatriated
From: Asuntos Laborales Maritimos [mailto:labormar@amp.gob.pa]
Sent: 16 February 2018 16:49
To: Jan de Boer
Cc: mdegracia@panamauk.org; imomission@panamauk.org; labormar
Subject: M/V Aegean Princess-11 Crew Members Rep.
 
Dear Mr. Jan de Boer,
 
Warmest greetings from the Maritime Labour Affairs Department on behalf the General Directorate of Seafarers.
 
Concerning the labour claim of the M/V Aegean Princess, with IMO No. 8025862, in accordance with the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, amended, Regulation 2.5-Repatriation, Standard A2.5.1, 5. If a shipowner fails to make arrangements for or to meet the cost of repatriation of seafarers who are entitled to be repatriated:
 
(a)   The competent authority of the Member whose flag the ship flies shall arrange for repatriation of the seafarers concerned; if it fails to do so, the State from which the seafarers are to be repatriated or the State of which they are a national may arrange for their repatriation and recover the cost from the Member whose flag the ship flies;
(b)   Cost incurred in repatriating seafarers shall be recoverable from the shipowner by the Member whose flag the ship flies;
(c)    …
 
We confirm that the following crew members have been repatriated from United Arab Emirates on Jan 24th, 2018:

 (omitted the crew names for the purpose of privacy)
 
In order to update the status of M/V AEGEAN PRINCESS, until IMO/ILO current procedures and considerations.
 
Please find attached some pictures from the repatriation and the air ticket confirmation from Captain Tin Ko Ko, to this date, all the crew members at home.
 
This work was possible with the ITF support and our office in UAE.
 
We take this opportunity to reassure our interest and commitment with the improvement of our services.
 
Appreciating your confirmation,
 
Sincerely Yours,
 

26 March 2018: Repatriated
After some years without salary, the crew were repatriated without wages. The ITF gave USD 300/seafarer in humanitarian assistance for immediate expenses.

Repatriation pending
outstanding
Payment status:26 March 2018: Other
The ITF gave USD 300/seafarer in humanitarian assistance for immediate expenses

Payment Pending
AED 582,421.68 (USD 158,600)
Comments and Observations:Govt. of Panama (24 April 2017)
Letter from Panama Maritime Authority to IMO, Mr de Boer
......
We were immediately in touch with our Diplomatic Representatives in the United Arab Emirates, who communicated us that five of the crew members had been repatriated, nevertheless 15 of them who remain on board demand the payment of approximately 12 months of salary.
........
We contacted the ship operator Mr Abdul Karim, which was notified about the complaint field by the crew members in this Department, who answered us the intention to reach a settlement with the crew members, but the currently experience of liquidity problems, which does not let to defray the necessities and wages due of the seafarers.
The ship maintains a restriction interposed by the General Directorate of Merchant Marine of the Panama Maritime Authority, which does not let the change of ownership neither the cancelation of the registry, until the ship owner demonstrates the full compliance of their obligations. The crew members were informed that the PMA can proceed with their repatriation; but, they do not accept the abandonment of the ship until the completion of the salary payment.
....

ITF (23 May 2017)
Owner is trying to intervene in dispute between charterer and receiver. Flag is seeking local legal advice.


ITF (29 January 2018)
From: Andy Khan-Gordon
Sent: 26 January 2018 16:00
To: Andy Khan-Gordon
Subject: Media release: Seafarers finally return home after 17 months in Ajman, UAE

This release will go out this afternoon.

Best wishes,

Andy Khan-Gordon


Seafarers finally return home after 17 months in Ajman, UAE

The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) is pleased to announce that the eleven crew of the Panamanian flagged 'Agean Princess' have finally been able to return home to India and Myanmar, after a dispute between their ships operator and owner saw them held in Ajman, United Arab Emirates, for 17 months. However, the crew are still owed hundreds of thousands of dollars of unpaid wages.


Govt. of Panama (31 December 2020)
PMA imposed a documentary restriction over the vessel, which prevent the cancelation of the registry and the change of ownership in the registry.
The vessel was sanctioned through the Resolution No. 106-S-42-DGMM of June 19, 2017.
COMPLAINT CLOSED, as 11crewmembers were duly repatriated on January 26, 2018 (Expenses incurred by PMA for the total amount of USD$10,124.64).
However,they are still pending salaries for the crewmembers.
We requested the ITF to update the information contained in the Database.

 
Entered: Tuesday - 20 March 2018 at 16:39:03
Last updated: Wednesday - 3 February 2021 at 17:04:53
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