Puma

Despite ongoing Russian threats, the next bulk carrier has left the port of Odesa. The 'Puma' sailed from the port on Sep 15, 2023, at 7.30 a.m. UTC, towards the Black Sea

The crew of the "Puma" complained about outstanding wages and repressions on board the ship to the ITF. Previously, an ITF inspector was refused to board the ship for the same reason in Rotterdam. The "Puma" sailed from Santa Cruz de Tenerife on July 20, 2019, bound to Dneprobugskiy with an ETA as of July 29.

On April 25, the ITF in Rostock in vain tried to get in contact with the crew of the "Puma" which complained about outstanding wages and repressions on board. The ship was berthed in Mukran and was supposed to have impossible working conditions. Crew members informed the International Transport Workers Federation about violations of working time regulations and miserable pay. The inspector of the ITF office in Rostock, Hamani Amadou, and his colleague Henri Zobel were denied access to the ship. Both the captain and a representative of the shipping company Blumenthal forbade the representatives of the institution to come aboard and talk with them and the crew. Already in Rotterdam the crew had approached the ITF office. pointing out the abuses. By mid-April, the Hamburg based shipping company Blumenthal had still not paid them the wages of the previous month. They should get a monthly salary of $ 900 and work for well over 40 hours a week. The international fixed minimum wage is $ 1085, at collectively bound shipping companies about $ 1500. The working conditions on board were extremely bad, the sailors from Russia, Ukraine and the Philippines alleged. After the Dutch ITF inspector was refused to board the ship in Rotterdam, the dockers had temporarily refused to unload it. With this action they wanted to express their solidarity with the crew. After the "Puma" briefly moored off Sassnitz because of the strong easterly wind, the ship berthed in Mukran in the afternoon of April 24 to be loaded with about 35,000 tons of wheat, which is to be shipped to Guinea. The grain comes from the Viela Export GmbH. Their managing director Henning Bligenthal has heard of the quarrels about the "Puma" but so far had no experience with the shipping company. Sometimes the grain is sold including delivery, sometimes even the customer takes care of the pick-up in Mukran - as in this specific case. After allegations were made against the shipping company, Bligenthal had asked the buyer for the reputation of the company. Only in March another ship of Blumenthal, the "Anna Elisabeth", was seized by the authorities in Australia. The sailors had not been ashore for months, and not enough provisions were on board. Part of the food was spoiled. There was also talk of mistreatment on the ship. Intimidation has also been on board the "Puma", suspected Hamani Amadou. German report with photo: http://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/Vorpommern/Ruegen/Mukran-Seeleute-beklagen-Zustaende-an-Bord-des-Frachters-Puma