Who will quench the thirst of striking Pratibha Varna crew?

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

It was a question of who is going to own the responsibility to quench the thirst of more than 25 striking crew of Pratibha Varna, who have anchored the ship with 7,900 metric tonnes of motor spirit oil of Indian Oil Corporation outside the Chennai Port for nearly 30 days.

In yet another case, where the management of Pratibha Shipping Corporation had denied the wages of the crew, who have anchored 10 km away from Chennai port, the cargo of Indian Oil Corporation is being lying in the sea for nearly a month.

As the crew is running out of supplies, they have urged the port authorities to provide them with fresh water. Even as port authorities are seeking bank guarantee from the owner of the ship to provide water, the biggest question is who is responsible for providing the crew with water.

International Transport Workers Federation Sreekumar says it is the responsibility of Indian Oil Corporation to provide water to the crew as they have hired them.

Sreekumar, who is trying to resolve the issue, says if the crew obliges agent’s request and agrees to berth inside then Indian Oil Corporation should provide the crew with fuel and water as the crew is still carrying the cargo of the company. “They have to provide water and fuel before the MSO is discharged in the port,” he reasons.

He says the wages issue could be sorted out later. But then the issue is will IOC agree to it. Port officials say Indian Oil Corporation officials said they have de-hired the ship. They said they will contact the New Delhi office and would let know the next course of action on whether to supply water or not. Port officials told Express that they could provide water to the crew if the Pratibha Shipping Company gets bank guarantee from the owner.

A senior port official admitted the issue has been a big headache for the busy Chennai Port with a ship running aground and another stranded due to protest by sailors. “if they give a SOS, we will provide water,” he says.

With the shipping company already in soup after its 31-year-old ship M T Pratibha ran aground after cyclone Nilam, and a court case by one of the six crew members, who died while trying to reach ashore in a faulty lifeboat, the question is who will take the responsibility and resolve the crisis