Greece's Blue Planet Shipping strenuously disputes complaints that crew on one of its vessels were "abandoned" during a just-completed voyage.
TradeWinds has previously reported on the labour dispute involving the 82,100-dwt Archon (built 2018) and its Chinese crew.
Nine of 21 seafarers demanded repatriation at Barcelona at the beginning of November but remained on the vessel throughout a Black Sea-to-China voyage.
International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) officials claimed it was "a case of forced labour".
Blue Planet disagrees. In a detailed statement to TradeWinds, the company said immediate repatriation was impossible from Barcelona and Yuzniy in Ukraine because of Covid-19 and port congestion.
It said it fixed the ship for the Yuzniy-to-Beihai voyage specifically because that was the most efficient way to get its crew home, given quarantine restrictions.
"All crew members were duly informed about the inability of repatriation in the ports prior to China and agreed with the disembarkation at China," the company said in a statement issued through a third-party spokesman.
ITF officials reported to the International Maritime Organization and International Labour Organization that the seafarers who wanted to muster off at Barcelona were granted permission by local authorities, but the shipowner indicated that that was not the whole story.
"Any attempt to disembark them at Spain would have definitely resulted in the seafarers remaining stranded at Spain," it said.
"When Blue Planet made enquiries about crew changes at Barcelona, immigration authorities denied permission for the required 14 days' quarantine."
The shipowner said the ITF inspector obtained permission from immigration authorities just prior to the vessel's departure.
"However, due to impacts of the pandemic, there were no direct flights between Spain and China, which is a prerequisite for Chinese to be accepted back to China," Blue Planet said.
The company "strongly objects" to the allegation of abandonment.
"There was never a failure of the company to cover the cost of the seafarers' repatriation," Blue Planet said. "The company never left the seafarers without the necessary maintenance and support [or] severed their ties with the seafarers or failed to pay contractual wages in full and on time at any time."
The company "prides itself on the reputation it upholds, our integrity and the emphasis that we put on the well-being of our crew members and their families, especially in these extremely challenging times".
ITF officials did not respond to a request for further comment.
