Still stuck in China with no way home, nine sailors from Vinashin Ocean Shipping Company Ltd. (Vinashinlines) managed to contact Dan Tri/DTiNews to report about their difficult living conditions.
The crew of the Sea Eagle
Chu Trong Cuong, crew member of the ship Sea Eagle, said they have petitioned authorities for help many times, but have not yet received any clear answers about their future. After a relative of one of the sailors came to the company for help, a staff member phoned the crew to refer them to the Crew Centre if they needed any help, but added that it would be difficult for them to collect their salaries if they want to return home now.
Another crew member, Le Van Thoan, said, “The way the company is dealing with this situation doesn't make any sense. We have signed labour contracts with the company. How are we expected to live if we are not paid our salaries when we return?"
Thoan added that the company still owed 18-months of salary. Most of sailors’ families are in difficult financial conditions and are counting on the unpaid salaries.
Some sailors are beginning to show signs of deep depression
Living in very harsh condition on the ship, some sailors accepted to return home without salary, however, they faced complicated visa and passport procedures.
It appears from a video taken by the sailors and sent to DTiNews that they are living with serious shortages of food, electricity and medicines. Most also suffer from skin and digestive problems. The ship is provided with electricity for only five hours a day and the water is so polluted with metals and rust that the sailors have resorted to filtering it by hand.
The supplies sent by the company are often late, forcing the men to eat food that is past expiration.This situation has lasted for the past two years, and some of the remaining sailors are beginning to show signs of deep depression.
The video sent to Dantri/DTiNews by sailors
Mr. Cuong said, “We know that Vinashinlines is facing difficulties, but we can’t bear this situation anymore. We hope that the government and agencies, especially the Minister of Transport, Dinh La Thang, would make an effort to create better conditions needed for Vinashinlines to sell off the ships which are not in operation to maintain those ships which are."Another ship, the Sea Eagle, also owned by Vinashinlines, has also been docked in China since 2008, along with nine sailors. The ship has not received maintenance since March of 2011.
The Lotus has been in the same situation, stuck in China, since 2009. Crew members of both ships have asked Vinashinlines to send replacements for them so they can return to their families.
