The International Transport Workers' Foundation is trumpeting the repatriation of nine seafarers who suffered "notoroious cases" of modern slavery.
In the first instance, the union was able to secure the repatriation for three Pakistani seafarers who worked nearly two years aboard an Iranian-flagged ship without pay.
"Over the past two years the company, Borhan Darya Kish, has acted with total impunity. For 22 months the company didn’t pay these seafarers a cent, they never paid one advance or allotment, and left the crew in a dire and defenceless position," said ITF Arab World and Iran coordinator Mohamed Arrachedi.
The union said it received no help from Iran or Pakistan, but worked with local affiliate Iranian Merchant Mariners Syndicate to secure their release in September and back pay of $16,112.
The union said it was also able to repatriate six Indian seafarers who were abandoned aboard 1,734-gt Lady Caroline (built 1980) in Syria in June.
The union helped the seafarers file a legal claim against the ship's owner.
The Lady Caroline's registered owner is Med Dream Shipping, a Lebanese company that shares the same address as manager Faros Shipping.
Faros did not immediately return a request for comment.
A call to Borhan Darya Kish was answered but was unintelligible due to the connection.
