Ten members of the crew which has mutinied on a Russian ship docked in Waterford have requested that they be repatriated.
The 18-man crew refused to sail the Firyuza last Friday, claiming they were owed more than £13,000 in wages. Now only eight of the crew say they are prepared to remain with the vessel even after they've been paid. The men made their position clear at a meeting facilitated by SIPTU, which was asked by the International Transport Federation in London to represent the crew, and the local agents for the ship's owner, a Moscow-based company, Ommar.
Talks chaired by the Labour Relations Commission due to be held yesterday have been postponed until tomorrow, pending the arrival of a London-based lawyer for the company.
There was hope last night that the dispute could be resolved before then, when direct talks were organised between a crew representative and the company in Moscow. The outcome will be known today. Mr Tony Ayton of SIPTU said the crew were continuing to be looked after well.