Nicosia, Cyprus. Seafarers who do not wish to sail through war-risk zones have the right to disembark from vessels, Cyprus maritime union Omepege-Sek said on Tuesday, citing crew safety as its primary concern. Charalambos Avgousti, head of the union, said there were no Cypriot seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz based on current information.
Union update on crews in the region
Avgousti said some seafarers covered by union agreements remain in the wider region and are safe, including crew members who were aboard a vessel that recently came under attack.
Star Gwyneth incident near Dubai
Avgousti referred to the Star Gwyneth, operated by Star Bulk Carriers, which was struck by a missile on March 11 while sailing approximately 50 nautical miles northwest of Dubai. He said the vessel sustained damage, including a large hole, but that the crew were safe and had supplies, adding that no injuries were reported and the ship has since moved away from the danger zone. Around 20 crew members were believed to have been on board.
Union coverage and contacts with authorities
Avgousti said Star Bulk maintains offices in Cyprus, meaning its seafarers are covered through the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), in cooperation with Omepege-Sek in Cyprus and the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation in Greece. He added that the union is in contact with the shipping deputy ministry to assess whether any further action is required, and said there were no Cypriot seafarers involved, while noting that some Greek nationals were on board.
ITF meeting and revised war-risk policy
Avgousti said the ITF was participating in an emergency two-day meeting of the International Maritime Organisation that began on Tuesday, focusing on the safety of seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region. He said the ITF had revised its policy on “warlike zones”, expanding it to include the entire Middle East following the outbreak of war in Iran, while proposals to include the Eastern Mediterranean were not adopted.
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