Abandoned sailors get warrant for ship arrest

Twenty-one Filipino sailors and a Pakistani captain abandoned on a cargo vessel in Maltese waters by their financially stricken mother company have successfully pleaded for a Maltese court to issue a warrant for the ship’s arrest. The request for the warrant against the MV A Ladybug was filed on behalf of the crew last Wednesday by local International Transport Workers’ Federation representative Paul Falzon. Disgruntled crew members are claiming €117,656 in unpaid wages from their Taiwan-based mother company, Today Makes Tomorrow. With the ship under arrest, the crew is now able to file a lawsuit in Malta against the vessel for their unpaid wages and repatriation, Mr Falzon explained. The vessel was granted access to Maltese waters on August 10 after being stranded “for months” due to problems with wages, food provisions, fuel and water, according to the Filipino Department of Foreign Affairs. The crew’s ordeal has made national headlines in the Philippines over recent weeks. Mr Falzon said the notice of arrest was personally delivered to the crew last Wednesday by a court official who travelled by boat. He hoped the mother company would now settle the dispute without the need...