As the impasse between Egyptian authorities and the insurer of the Ever Given continues, the crew remains trapped onboard but are in good spirits, according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) who boarded the vessel on Sunday to check on their health and welfare.
It is unclear if the Indian crew will be allowed to leave via Egypt until a resolution is reached. The authority is claiming US$916 million in damages from the UK P&I Club, which insured the vessel.
“The crew are understandably sensitive at moment, as they wait to see what will happen with arguments between authorities and other parties. They are eager to sail, or know that they will be able to go home and see their families if the ship cannot leave Egypt soon,” said the ITF’s Mohamed Arrachedi.
No seafarer wages or contract violations were found by the ITF representatives, and all crew had received their wages for March. He said the crew had sufficient food and the ITF had delivered devices for them to connect to the internet.
The National Union of Seafarers of India (Nusi) has called on Egyptian authorities to allow the release of the crew as per their normal contract conclusions and not keep them onboard.
“We urge Egyptian authorities to make clear that all 25 crew members will be allowed to leave at the normal conclusion of their contracts. We cannot have a situation where the crew are effectively being held hostage as financial negotiations that do not concern them continue between parties.”
He said the union was prepared to fight any accusations that seafarers were to blame for the events leading to the Ever Given’s blockage of the canal. He believed that investigations would make this clear.
