Three members of a crew which mutinied on a Russian vessel in Waterford were missing after jumping ship last night, and another is seeking political asylum after attempts to resolve the five-week dispute broke down.
At one stage yesterday six of the men appeared to have fled, but two subsequently presented themselves at Waterford Garda station while a third returned to their ship, the MV Firyuza. The vessel has been docked in Waterford since mid-June, when its Ukrainian crew refused to sail until overdue wages were paid.
By Thursday, a deal appeared to have been reached when a sum of money for the men arrived in Waterford from their Moscow-based employer, Olmar Shipping. By that stage most of the 18-man crew originally involved in the dispute had agreed to stay with the vessel, but seven were to be returned home to Ukraine as part of the deal negotiated on their behalf by SIPTU.
The money was not due to be paid to the men until they were boarding their flights home. One of the seven left the vessel on Thursday, however, and has since applied for political asylum.
A further dispute broke out between the remaining six and the company over the route by which they would return home. Plans had been made for them to fly from Shannon to Minsk in Belarus, but this was unacceptable to the men who wanted to be flown via London to Kiev.
Mr Tony Ayton of SIPTU said this proved unacceptable to the company due to the greater expense involved. With the issue still in the balance the six men were spotted by the captain boarding a bus for Dublin.
Mr Ayton, who was negotiating with the captain when he was alerted to what was happening, went to the bus station where he succeeded in persuading the men to leave the bus. However, they fled on foot.
The two men who turned up later at the Garda station were staying last night at a hostel in the city.
Mr Ayton said the men appeared to be genuinely afraid for their safety on their return to Ukraine. He has arranged to meet the remaining crew members at noon today and is hopeful that all six will have turned up by then.
To complicate matters further, now that the men have refused to go straight home as planned, Olmar Shipping is understood to be looking for its money back.
Garda sources said inquiries were being conducted as to the whereabouts of the missing three men.
