According to the Maritime Union of Australia, a foreign crew has been denied the access to necessities such as food and also they were forced to work without pay.
The abuse took place in Korean vessel C. Summit bulk carrier (151,143 dwt; built 1995), owned by Seoul-headquartered Chang Myung Shipping. One of the crewmembers aboard the ship suffered from malnutrition, and other four have left fearing for their lives.
ITF ( International Transport Workers’ Federation ) has substantiated the accusations after inspecting the vessel this week. According to Matt Purcell, ITF Assistant National Coordinator, the victims who encountered the worst kind of bullying were from Cambodia and Burma.
He also said, “We have discovered two contracts, one contract was the one the workers signed prior to boarding and the other, which doesn’t meet even the most basic international standards, was signed shortly after the crew joined the ship.”
Also, he added that “The crew claim they have received no wages for several months and are forced to do jobs outside of their requirements. And they have been locked in hatches and have survived on what I can only describe as a starvation diet.”
The Ship breached the labour standards in Denmark as recently as November last year.
