Seafarers’ advocacy groups are voicing concern for the 11 sailors who are spending a harsh Quebec winter on three tugboats detained for months in the port of Trois-Rivières.
Paul Racket, who runs the Foyer des Marines Seafarers’ Club at the port, said workers arriving from Mexico, Cuba and Guyana are not used to the winter.
He said in an interview, “For them, it’s 17 degrees cold, so imagine they have to work outside in the temperature now.”
In addition, they are weathering the winter on moored tugboats, which they say are not designed to last long.
“It’s very small, it’s narrow, there are no facilities inside, so it’s problematic,” he said.
The boats, which range in length from 30 to 40 metres, were sold last year to a company that wants to bring them to the South American nation of Guyana. But they have been detained in the port, halfway between Quebec City and Montreal, since October because of what Transport Canada describes as “non-compliance with various international maritime conventions,” including labor regulations that Ensures the well being of the crew.
“Before detaining and authorizing vessels to depart, Transport Canada will verify that outstanding items have been rectified,” wrote spokesperson Sau Sau Liu.
Rackett said that while there were originally about 25 crew members, their number has dropped to 11 as some have left and been replaced by fewer.
On a recent visit, two of the three tugboats could be seen tied up on the riverbank, dwarfed in size by the much larger ship behind them. The flags of Canada and Guyana were fluttering in the wind due to heavy snowfall.
None of the sailors came out when a reporter stopped by, and Rackett said none of the current crew wanted to speak to the media out of concern that they might face retaliation.
Lawrence and East Coast vice-president for the Seafarers International Union of Canada, which is working with the crew, said he is concerned about the working and living conditions of the sailors.
Vince Giannopoulos said that including some of these contracts is a matter of “base level legality”. He noted that some sailors were sent aboard ships with only verbal agreements regarding pay, only to discover upon arrival that the compensation was far less than promised in the written contract.
His visits to the ship, the most recent of which took place in December, revealed “all kinds of problems” from a lack of security and cold-weather equipment to inadequate food, he said.
“During some of my visits the crew was eating Mr. Noodles three times a day,” he said. “That was his breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“It’s hard to even know where to begin with this story because there are so many issues.”
Mark Wong, a Guyanese seafarer, spent six months on the ships working as an engineer before heading home in late December.
While he found living conditions on the tugboats generally good, the 59-year-old said it was the first time he has been stranded on a detained vessel for so long.
He said the situation began to worsen as crew members had to be switched out and inspections continued to reveal more issues to be corrected.
He said that the arrival of winter was “terrible” and that his strongest memory is of the snow on the deck.
He said, ‘I am not used to it.
Wong said he was one of those who arrived without a contract, and, while he has received his wages, he says the company still wants to pay him holiday pay. Despite the issues, he said he was ready to return.
“Though not in winter,” he said.
Rackett said the sailor’s club, which has a low budget and is mostly volunteer-run, is doing what it can to support the crew. Members visit ships to bring treats, conversation, and encourage sailors to visit their clubhouse, which features a pool table, snacks, comfortable chairs, and Internet access.
He said volunteers have come forward to help some crew walk to shopping centers or attend a Spanish-language religious service, while community members have donated warm clothing.
Lately, he has been appealing for donations to take the crew on outings such as restaurant visits or bowling trips.
While it is not clear how long it will take to obtain authorization for the tugboats to leave, Rackett’s opinion is that they will remain in port until at least April, until the ice clears.