Russian representatives of a Latvian-owned, Jamaican-registered cargo ship operating between Ireland and Britain have begun interviewing crew members over claims that they are owed up to €150,000 in wages.
The Merchant Brilliant has been detained in Dublin Port since Friday following a High Court order granted to inspectors from the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) who said they had evidence of under- and non-payment to 20 Russian and Latvian crew members.
The owner, ADG Ship Management has already paid $167,000 (€127,000) in back wages to crew on another vessel, the Merchant Bravery, to settle a claim of underpayment supported by the ITF.
ADG senior executive Capt Vladimir Isaev arrived in Dublin on Saturday to interview crew about the claims prior to an expected meeting today with ITF inspector Ken Fleming.
Mr Fleming said yesterday that the company entered a bond with the ITF on December 6th, when it paid Merchant Bravery crew, that in future "everything would be above board with proper payments and records and no more messing. Six days later, unknown to the company, we boarded its sister ship Merchant Brilliant, and it was deja vu".
Mr Fleming said this time the company refused to pay, so the ITF went to the High Court.
The ITF inspector claimed the ship's captain was sacked after a letter in Russian was uncovered, allegedly instructing the captain on how to make up overtime records, forge signatures to show payments were made and cover-up underpayment.
The two ships operate exclusively in Irish and British waters, moving cargo containers between Dublin and Heysham and Dublin and Belfast.
They were chartered by a British company, Norfolk Line. The inspector said the problem was not with Norfolk Line but with a complicated web of companies in Russia and Latvia.
The vessel is Jamaican-registered and not bound by Irish minimum wage standards even though it only operates between Ireland and Britain, "but there is an international minimum standard" the ITF inspector said.
A basic monthly salary is $1,217 with extras that could add up to $3,500. But some crew received $300 and others got nothing, the inspector said.
ADG Ship Management is the beneficial owner of the Merchant Brilliant, with a 90 per cent shareholding held by a Latvian car dealer living in Germany. Although registered in Jamaica, the vessel is managed through Russia. Three crew recruitment agencies were involved and crew members had to pay $350 to $500 to get the jobs, the ITF claimed.
When contacted by The Irish Times, Capt Isaev's only comment was: "I can't talk now, I'm very busy."
