THE INTERNATIONAL Transport Federation (ITF) is seeking to arrest a Latvian ship in Cork today after it was claimed that its crew is allegedly owed more than €80,000.
Seven Ukrainians and two Russians were aboard the Defender when it sailed into port at Passage West on Tuesday.
It was later moved to a more secure docking in the inner harbour in Cork.
The ship’s captain has not been paid in seven months, and some of the crew are awaiting six months of outstanding pay.
The Defender could be the second ship of Latvian company Forestry Shipping to be arrested in Irish waters in the past 12 months.
The ITF has arrested a total of six ships in the past three years.
The ITF was preparing an application to the High Court in Dublin yesterday to allow for the ship’s arrest.
Efforts to contact the owners of the 40-year-old cargo ship yesterday yielded scant information about the situation from the company, according to Ken Fleming of the ITF. He said with only three to four days of food left on board, there was no alternative but to arrest the vessel in order to cover the costs of the crew.
However, Mr Fleming said the value of the ship was difficult to ascertain, and it was not known if the vessel would cover the accrued costs of wages for the ship’s crew.
“Given the age of the ship and the economic climate, it is difficult to determine how much it is worth.
“It leaves us in a difficult situation. This company is an habitual offender and should be put off the seas.”
The captain’s accumulated salary of €4,400 per month means he is owed almost €31,000.
Of the nine crew, eight signed over power of attorney to Mr Fleming to allow him to seek payment of the wages.
The ship’s cargo of timber was unloaded on Tuesday night.
Last year a Forestry Shipping vessel was detained by Irish Customs when they discovered €45,000 worth of unaccounted for cigarettes on board.