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ITF supporting crew on abandoned vessel
The 'Lady Mina' was detained by Spanish authorities following inspection from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which found the vessel was in poor condition, with a forged wage security certificate and crew wages unpaid to the tune of $68,000. The Turkish-owned vessel came under investigation, after one of the six crew members reported the situation to the ITF on May 22. The crew member had requested repatriation to his home country after his employment contract expired. An ITF inspector’s investigation revealed that some crew members had served for around 13 months, two months beyond the maximum 11-month limit permitted under the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006. Serious deficiencies were also found in the seafarers’ living and working conditions. This confirmed that the crew had been abandoned by the ship owner. Further inspections showed that the vessel was sailing without all required statutory certificates. Documentation intended to assure the safety and financial security of seafarers in the event of abandonment also appeared to be fraudulent. Following negotiations with the shipowner, two crew members were repatriated and drinking water was finally supplied to the vessel after weeks of delay. However, no attempts were made to repair the vessel or settle the outstanding wages owed to the crew. The ITF reported the case to Spanish authorities, after which the vessel was detained in Las Palmas. The ITF was now assisting the crew in legal proceedings to arrest the vessel. The 'Lady Mina' was previously involved in another seafarer abandonment case in December 2024. According to the ILO/IMO joint database, the crew were not paid for five months and were abandoned in Djen Djen.
Solution for stranded crew aboard unsafe vessel in sight
The crew of the 'Lady Mina', who was stranded aboard the ship off the port of El Jadida since Jan 18, 2026, after having sailed from Tunis on Jan 13, have reported concrete progress regarding their situation. The public disclosure of their hardships led the shipping company to make formal commitments. The shipowner promised the full payment of wages that had remained unpaid for more than three months and the swift resolution of the daily problems encountered on board. Samir Aminov, captain of the vessel, stated that "the management assured us that the crew's difficult situation would be fully resolved." The company acknowledged the reality of the living conditions reported by the sailors and pledged to address them as quickly as possible, without, however, specifying the exact implementation details. Prior to these announcements, the crew had stated they were being held on a ship they considered unsafe, with the 'Lady Mina' having serious technical defects, particularly in its main engine. The ship's condition did not allow for safe navigation on the planned Atlantic route, as it did not meet the safety requirements for such a crossing. Faced with this situation, the sailors had requested an urgent technical inspection, payment of back wages, and repatriation to Azerbaijan and Georgia. These requests have been taken into account by the shipowner, although no specific timeline has been made public at this stage. Report with photo: https://www.marineinsight.com/spain-detains-turkish-owned-cargo-ship-over-crew-abandonment-and-68000-in-unpaid-wages/
Ship with abandoned crew detained on behalf of the ITF
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) attempted to arrange for the repatriation of the crew of the 'Lady Mina' and provided legal assistance to the crew to initiate the arrest of the vessel. The crew was working far beyond their contracts and was due $68,000. It The situation began in May 2026, when one of the crew members contacted the ITF while the vessel was in the Port of Las Palmas. An onboard inspection by ITF Inspector for the Canary Islands, Gonzalo Galan, found serious deficiencies both in the condition of the vessel and in the crew's living and working conditions. Six crew members remained aboard the 'Lady Mina', which was now under detention. The first seafarer contacting the ITF was requesting assistance with repatriation after his employment contract had expired. Despite having served on board for more than 13 months – well beyond the 11-month maximum permitted under the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 – and repeatedly requesting repatriation, the shipowner failed to fulfil its obligations to the seafarers. The ITF inspector also found two seafarers had been on board since April 2025, while the Chief Engineer had been serving since October 2024, and without pay since January 2026, yet he kept the vessel running because he had no other choice. After confirming the crew had been abandoned, the ITF reported the case to the Spanish Maritime Authority (Capitanía Marítima), which detained the vessel. The ITF further alleged that the 'Lady Mina' was sailing without the required statutory certificates, while documentation for the financial security mandated under the MLC, designed to protect seafarers in cases of abandonment, appears to be fraudulent. Initially, the shipowner arranged for two crew members to be repatriated and paid their outstanding wages. In addition, fresh provisions and drinking water were supplied to meet the crew's immediate needs. Weeks later, the shipowner has failed to repatriate the remaining crew whose contracts have expired. He has also made no effort to repair the vessel, and continued to withhold the crew’s wages. Volunteers from the charity Stella Maris delivered additional food supplies to the crew. The ITF alleged that this was not the first time the shipowner has abandoned a crew on this vessel. The vessel was already reported to the ILO/IMO Joint Database on Abandonment of Seafarers in Dec 2024, after the owner had failed to pay the crew for five months and left them abandoned in Djen Djen, Algeria. In Feb 2026, the ship was reported with 18 deficiencies during a Port State inspection in Ghana. The report cited structural conditions, fire safety, concerns with the radio, and working and living conditions.
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