Hanjin seafarers thank ILWU for solidarity as they seek shore leave after weeks or months at sea.
Excerpts from the Handy Shipping Guide:
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) inspector, Jeff Engels, visited the chartered vessel Hanjin Marine which finally moored in Seattle after three weeks waiting for a berth when his organisation was told of the crew’s problems. The visit revealed that, although the crew are being paid and there is two months’ food onboard, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) staff were refusing them shore leave. Mr Engels explained:
“I phoned them several times [CBP], and had others phone them but they still insisted that the crew was a possible threat to try and jump ship due to the Hanjin situation. I countered with the fact that shore leave was a human right and that the seafarers should not be made to suffer due to the Hanjin situation, which had nothing to do with their simple desire to walk around, smell a tree and visit the local seafarers centre, they still did not budge.”
At their 18:00 crew shift change [that evening] the despairing crew decided to make the situation public and stood at the gangway flying a banner stating ‘We deserve shore leave’. When they learnt of what the seafarers were being put through, outraged members of ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) Local 19 staged a spontaneous demonstration of support for the seafarers from the dockside, cheering them and sounding horns. ITF president and chair of the ITF dockers’ section, Paddy Crumlin, commented:
“The dockers’ action was the type of urgent expression of solidarity that ILWU members are known for taking to help any worker who is in distress. It not only showed the seafarers that their voice is being heard, but also helped reveal that these entirely innocent workers are being denied that most basic of rights, to step on land after weeks or months at sea. It should be inconceivable that they are being denied that right. We hope that wiser heads at the CBP will now prevail and they will be allowed ashore.