The Russian oil tanker Dignity (IMO 9283241) has been seized by Egyptian authorities for non-payment of Suez Canal tolls. A crew member reported this in a request for assistance to the Russian Seafarers’ Union.

The tanker is currently anchored in the Port of Suez. According to the sailor, the vessel is running low on fuel and lubricants, threatening a power outage. Furthermore, the shipowner has accumulated a debt to the crew, which consists of 22 Russian citizens—the crew has not been paid for over three months. 

“On October 15, our vessel’s crew filed a claim against their employer demanding payment of outstanding wages. As of October 28, the money has still not been transferred. The employer has not responded to our demands,” the appeal to the Russian Union of Seafarers reads. 

It also reports that wage arrears on the Dignity are systemic: in August of this year, sailors already appealed to the union for help. 

Indeed, the joint efforts of the Russian Union of Seafarers and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping made it possible to promptly obtain payment of wage arrears from the ship’s owner—10.5 million rubles were immediately transferred to the sailors. 

The Russian Union of Seafarers (RPS) is currently involved in resolving this issue; the sailors of the Dignity hope that the shipowner will fulfill its obligations in the near future. 

Source: SUR