Department steps in to help stranded sailors

Dubai: Four seafarers who had not been paid their salaries and had been stranded on a ship for three months had real reason to celebrate Labour Day on Thursday thanks to the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department.

The salaries owed to the four seamen totalled almost Dh100,000. One of them had not been paid for ten months, they told Gulf News.

Mistreated

The men complained that their employer had mistreated them by leaving them stranded and not paying them their dues as the world celebrated International Labour Day.

The men on the Iraqi ship Mariam I docked at Al Hamriya Port in Dubai three months ago.

Murtender Kumar, 24, from India who works as an engineer on the ship said that he arrived at Al Hamriya Port around three months ago on a seaman's visa issued by the port's immigration office.

"I have not been paid my salary for two months and 22 days. My salary was around Dh4,000. I have been stuck on the ship for the past three months.

"Life is so hard here on the ship. We are stranded and we do not know what to do. We tried to contact the police and residency officials at the residency and naturalisation office at Al Hamriya port but to no avail," he said.

He said he used to work for the same employer some time ago but the ship had been held in Iraq for six months. He joined the crew after the ship was released.

The Iranian captain of the ship said he had not been paid for the past ten months and that his salary was around Dh8,000.

Two other Indian workers who earned around Dh700 also said they had not been paid for the past three months.

Tired

The four men said they were all tired and just wanted to be given their salaries.

Gulf News tried to contact the Iraqi owner of the ship at Aiya trading in Dubai several times but got no response.

Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director-General of Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department, told Gulf News he ordered an immediate investigation. Within minutes of his comments, officials for the Permanent Committee for Labour Affairs in Dubai reached the ship.

The ship owner's employees boarded the vessel and paid the seamen their salaries.

They told the seamen that the ship had been sold to another party. The sailors were given the choice of staying on board and sailing to a new destination or going home. The men chose to stay.

I have not been paid my salary for two months and 22 days. My salary was around Dh4,000. I have been stuck on the ship for the past three months."