What Crew Members Say About Vitakosmos

In a significant move against modern slavery in the maritime industry, the trade union FNV Havens has detained the bulk carrier 'Vita Kosmos' upon its arrival at Rotterdam's Europoort on October 14, 2017. Reports have surfaced that the Filipino crew members aboard the vessel were receiving a meager wage of only 180 Euros per month, raising serious concerns about labor exploitation. On October 17, in collaboration with inspectors from the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), operations on the 'Vita Kosmos' were halted. Previously, ITF inspectors attempted to board the ship on October 16 to evaluate wage conditions but were turned away by the shipping company. Alarmingly, it has been suggested that, in an additional layer of exploitation, the crew might have been required to pay the shipping company to secure their positions, further diminishing their already scant earnings. As of now, the ship remains anchored at a terminal in Europoort, pending negotiations between the shipping company and the union to establish fair wage agreements for the crew.