Trouble on board Merchant Brilliant

[Kelvin Davies]

The crew of the Merchant Brilliant are to petition the Admiralty to have the ship arrested.
The ship is owned by a Latvian company and was chartered to Norfolk Lines operating an Irish Sea ferry service.
The Russian crew claim they are owed $167,000 in unpaid wages and they are also protesting over their working hours.
When the ship sailed from Belfast for Heysham yesterday, the crew locked themselves in their cabins. When the ship arrived off Heysham, they came out and anchored the ship off the port while they began legal action to get the ship arrested.
The BBC has the story here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/6380465.stm

Kelvin

[tmec]

Good for them!  There are some real scab owners out there.  Wages aside, it makes one ponder how many owners/operators are dangerously neglecting the condition of hull and machinery on board their ships.

[marc reynaert]

Greetings,
It's not the first time that company's,dont follow the rules.Here in Antwerp(harbour)was years ago about the same problem,on the end locale citizen,and the seamenhouses had to provide them with food and water.
They also wanted to get paid for their work,and what has happen?Afther months,they had to go back to their country,all money that local people had collect.So no money from the company,and they lost a little insurrance.
I hope worldwide,people and goverments fight this cheap company's by law,and lett them pay these workers
Regards
Marc

[AubreyDale]

I'm not sure that we can "blame" Norfolk Line which operates the service.  It seems that the ferry might be chartered (with crew) and that the owner of the vessel might be the one with which the crew has the dispute.

BBC (Northern Ireland) said yesterday, that the ferry was owned by a Russian company.

I saw the "Saga Moon" running, (apparently) normally today, from Belfast.

[frederik]

Hi,

The "Merchant Brilliant" is owned by the Latvian shipping company ADG Shipping. They are the owners of more vessels, like the "Amanda" (IMO 7729045 ex-Cobelfret's "Amandine"), the "Marabou" (IMO 7419377 ex-Cobelfret's "Loverval"),...
ADG Shipping is a "low cost" shipping company with a fleet of "old" vessels.

greetz,

frederik

[tmec]

For clarification, my earlier comment was not aimed at Norfolk line, but rather the company that is directly responsible for operating the vessel.

[Stephen Lee]

I saw the vessel yeasterday,lots of press bobing alongside
More should be done for these men,
at least the unions are on board

Regards
Stephen  :pint: