Today, the Ukrainian crew of the mv MEIN SCHIFF 3 of TUI Cruises, returned to Ukraine. The MTWTU representatives met the seafarers in Kiev Boryspil International Airport. After the company-arranged charter flight to Kiev, 167 seafarers went to their home city Odessa by bus.
Let us recall that in early May, the ITF Inspector in Germany Hamani Amadou, contacted the MTWTU to inform of more than 170 Ukrainian seafarers stranded onboard the cruise ship MEIN SCHIFF 3 (9641730, MLT). The seafarers required immediate assistance with repatriation arrangements. The MTWTU First Vice Chairman Oleg Grygoriuk addressed the German trade union ver.di and the company’s representatives, as well as the haulage company to follow up on the transferring of Ukrainians to Odessa.
All Ukrainian seafarers are members of the Marine Transport Workers’ Trade Union of Ukraine as the MEIN SCHIFF 3 vessel is covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) of the ver.di trade union. Under the respective Memorandum of Understanding between the MTWTU and ver.di, all Ukrainian seafarers working onboard the ships covered by ver.di CBAs, are members of the MTWTU.
“All the repatriated seafarers passed the COVID-19 test, and all the results are negative. They were offered to use the “Act at Home” mobile application and spend the observation period at home. Seafarers contacted the Union with a request to monitor the repatriation procedure. They wanted to make sure that the company will keep all guarantees, that their flight will be safe from the virus and that they will not be forced to remain at medical institutions during the observation period. We worked all these issues out with the company, received confirmations and guarantees that Odessa seafarers will be safely transferred home by buses. We continue staying in touch with them”, said Oleg Grygoriuk.
