Fifteen Free Neptune crew members return from Oman to Ukraine

"Fifteen members of the Free Neptune ship crew returned to Ukraine. From summer of 2016, they stayed in the Sultanate of Oman aboard this ship because of the arrears of wages," the Marine Transport Workers Trade Union of Ukraine posted on Facebook.

As reported, 22 Ukrainian seafarers, recruited by the Odesa and Mariupol crewing companies, joined the Free Neptune in the first half of 2015. When the sailors arrived from the Turkish port of Bandirma in Omani Muscat to replenish foodstuffs, it turned out that the Greek company Free Bulkers SA had refused to pay for the foodstuff delivery to the crew because of shipowner's debts. Thus, the sailors fell into the "economic captivity" in the summer of 2015.

At the end of 2016, the sailors had to go on a hunger strike to draw attention to their problems.

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