Dubai: A total of 16 crewmembers – 14 Indian and two from Myanmar – finally left Bahrain overnight after a five month ordeal which has attracted the wrath of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). The crew were working on the Mongolia-flagged Surya Kuber when it was detained in the Middle East nation in December over some $200,000 owned by the vessel owner, 7Seas Ship Management, to local shipyard Asry and Kanoo Shipping.
Eventually money was raised locally and via the Indian embassy to buy the plane tickets to get the sailors home.
“This particular owner has already given numerous undertakings of payment, none of which have come to fruition,” an ITF spokesperson told Splash last month.
The seafarers claim they have not been paid since October and are now owed a total of $118,000.
The Surya Kuber, previously trading under the name Prathiba Koyna, hit the headlines three years ago when the ship and its 34 Indian sailors were stranded in Bahrain for five months, also without being paid their salaries.
