The Algerian company L’Aures that should have started a connection to Algeria does not respond: the ITF intervenes for the seafarers and Fit Cisl monitors the dossier
Seven Montenegrin Seafarers have been living in inhumane conditions in Genoa for a month
The appeal from the crew of the Moby Corse ferry, ex-Santa Cruz, continues to dock in the port of Genoa for months owing to they haven’t their wages and the poor conditions on board the ferry to set sail again for a service between Algeria and an unspecified Southern European ports according to Shipping Italy
Harsh Conditions
In harsh Conditions at least according to Danijela Djurdjevic, president of the Italy-Montenegro Regina Elena association, presumably collecting the testimonies of some members of the crew (which is in fact made up of Montenegrin, Croatian and Filipino Seafarers).
Seven Montenegrin Seafarers
“Seven Montenegrin Seafarers have been living in inhumane conditions in Genoa for a month. They are asking for urgent intervention to receive three and a half months’ wages in arrears and to be able to return home, after months of hard work maintaining the ship”
The judicial seizure of the ship
Version confirmed by Francesco Di Fiore, representative of the international union Itf: “Six months ago we obtained the judicial seizure of the ship, at which point the outstanding debts were paid. Then another three months passed without them being paid and now we are back to square one
Three months without pay wages
As Djurdjevic recalls, “Santa Cruz, flying the Italian flag, is owned by a Slovenian citizen. The Ministry of the Navy is aware of the situation: they have contacted, they say, the Montenegrin citizens and are looking for ways to help them. Three months without pay wages, with food supplies now exhausted.What is left has expired, according to what a crew member told us, and the ship has no electricity, fuel or water. The owner promises something, but then nothing happens. He says Monday, Wednesday, Friday, but in the end nothing.”
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The appeal for a new intervention
The appeal for a new intervention, in addition to the ITF, is in particular, given the Italianity of the flag, to the Italian unions (Filt Cgil intervened on the occasion of the first ‘abandonment’). Di Fiore has however made it known that in a few days an ITF inspector will visit the crew.
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“The crew is foreign and therefore the practice has been followed by the ITF. But if we can we will go and see too” commented Mauro Scognamillo of Fit Cisl, while SHIPPING ITALY understands that a Croatian union representative has notified the general command of the Coast Guard of the declaration of abandonment of ship.
Ferry MOBY CORSE
The 1978-built ferry MOBY CORSE has been sold to a newly established company, Ferry Med Srl, based in Vado Ligure (Savona).
The sole owner is Rihard Stergulc, former managing director of Trans Europe Shipping Lines (TSL) and currently the general manager of Kajster, a Slovenia-based ship management company specialising in ferries and RoRo ships.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed to FSN that MOBY CORSE will be deployed on routes linking Southern Europe and Algeria for a new shipping company, which will be established and supported, to some extent, by the Algerian Ministry of Transport. This company will operate regular links between Spain, France, and Italy to Algeria with a fleet of RoPax ferries.
Built by the Danish shipyard Aalborg and delivered in 1978, MOBY CORSE was purchased by Vincenzo Onorato in 2009 for approximately €7 million to penetrate the Corsican market on the Toulon-Bastia route.The ferry is 153 metres long, with a capacity to carry 400 cars and 1,120 passengers.the sale price is believed to be under €8 million.
Sources : Shipping Italy and other sources
