Talks due on grounded Russian ship

Talks will begin tomorrow between unions and employers onboard a grounded cargo ship in Dublin Port.

Talks will begin tomorrow between unions and employers onboard a grounded cargo ship in Dublin Port.

The High Court today ordered the Merchant Brilliantvessel to be detained until a dispute is resolved over €150,000 in unpaid crew wages.

Representatives of the Russian agency which employs the Latvian and Russian workers arrived in Dublin today and has agreed to meet officials from the International Transport Federation (ITF) on the deck at 9.00am tomorrow.

ITF inspector Ken Fleming said: "Now that the agency has finally agreed to the meeting I hope its representatives will face up to their responsibilities to the crew, pay the arrears due and end the totally unnecessary hardship and stress that has been inflicted."

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The ITF went to the High Court to have the ship detained after it attempted to leave Dublin Port earlier this month. The claimed it had uncovered evidence of alleged systematic underpayment of the crew.

The grounded vessel is a sister ship of the Merchant Braverywhich was involved in a similar controversy earlier this month when its crew members were found to be owed similar amounts of money. Both vessels provide a roll-on roll-off freight service between Dublin and Heysham in Lancashire.

The ITF said it can only ask the High Court to lift its order if the crew was paid the arrears.

The ITF claimed that some workers are on duty up to 20 hours in a single shift, which poses a danger to themselves, passengers and other shipping.

PA