Ship may be held in Drogheda over claims of unpaid wages

A ship carrying cement was facing detention in Drogheda last night due to almost €80,000 in unpaid crew wages.

The MV Julia’s nine -man crew from Ukraine, Russia and Lithuania had not been paid since May, International Transport Workers Federation co-ordinator for Ireland and Britain Ken Fleming said. The men were owed $102,700 (€79,110) in unpaid wages, he added.

The vessel is owned by Dutch- based company Transship Management. Mr Fleming boarded the ship after his counterparts in the Netherlands had received a distress call.

“We are seeking payment in full of the arrears owed to these men, all but one of whom wants to be repatriated because of the intolerable conditions on the vessel,” he said yesterday.

The ship was bound for Belgium with a consignment of 5,000 tonnes of cement. Last evening the ship was transferred into the Boyne channel by the Drogheda port authorities to facilitate new business.

Mr Fleming was concerned that the crew would be “physically and socially isolated from any help” as a result.