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Seafarers under fire in Black Sea
Seafarers under fire in Black Sea
Unions condemn invasion and ban Russian ships as merchant marine casualties grow
A 27-year-old ship’s engineer from Bangladesh, Hadisur Rahman, became the first crew fatality of war in Ukraine after an artillery shell struck the bridge of his cargo ship, the Banglar Samriddhi, in the port of Olvia on March 2. He will not be the last. The same night, six seafarers were rescued from the Helt, an Estonian cargo vessel that sank after an explosion near Odessa.
The Japanese-owned MV Namura Queen was hit by a missile which Ukraine authorities said was fired by Russian forces. One of the 21 Filipino seafarers was injured and the ship sailed from Ukrainian waters to Turkey for damage assessment, the owners said.
The Turkish owned Yass Jupiter cargo vessel and the Moldovan flagged Millennial Spirit have also come under fire, Reuters reports. Crew on the Millennial Spirit were Russian. Two were seriously injured.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation is calling for an immediate ceasefire by all parties and
for diplomatic solutions in line with the United Nations. Both the ITF and the MUA have condemned the Russian invasion.
Maritime Union of Australia National Secretary Paddy Crumlin has written to the Australian Prime Minister calling for Asia-Pacific sanctions and a national embargo on all Russian registered or owned shipping and cargo.
“Workers around the world are defiant in opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” Crumlin, who is also ITF President, said.
Unions worldwide are pushing to widen bans on Russian ships from their ports, potentially black listing more than 1700 vessels.
Major shipping lines have enacted trade embargoes with Russia. The
two largest shipping companies in the world by TEU capacity – Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company – have both suspended container shipping to Russia.
On many merchant ships, Ukrainian and Russian seafarers work side by side in peace, supporting one another in one of the most dangerous and demanding industries in the world.
Meanwhile in Italy, Union Sindacale di Base (USB) members at the port of Livorno declared “maximum solidarity” with workers at Galileo Galilei airport in Pisa who refused to load crates of weapons, ammunition and explosives destined for Ukraine. The crates were disguised as “humanitarian aid” and originated from US/NATO bases in Poland, USB said.
PADDY CRUMLIN
Paddy Crumlin said the MUA has a proud history of taking principled stands against global injustices. “Our rank-andfile membership are custodians of a long tradition of internationalism and campaigning for peace and justice,” he said.
Australian seafarers and waterside workers have fought for the sovereign rights of Indonesia and Vietnam. They acted against apartheid in South Africa – the importance of which was recognised by Nelson Mandela at his meeting with MUA officials in Australia.
In more recent years, support from Australian seafaring members of the MUA for the East Timorese was recognised as strategically significant by retired General Sir Peter Cosgrove.
Trade unionists and Maritime Union members have always been at the forefront of peace and international justice campaigns and nuclear non-proliferation efforts.
The 1938 Dalfram dispute saw Australian waterfront labourers refuse to load pig iron bound for Japan during its invasion of China in the prelude to World War II.
One in eight Australian merchant seafarers lost their lives in service to the nation while working on transport, supply and hospital ships around Australia’s coast in that war. •
