MUMBAI, November 23: Eleven crew members aboard the Russian ship M V Flamingo anchored off the Mumbai harbour for the last 47 days have not been paid for the last 20 months. And they fear abandoning the merchant vessel flying Antiguan flag lest they be conveniently taken for deserters and be denied of their dues. The master of the vessel Victor Nikisov has no money to pay even the cook and he has not even bothered to hire one. Instead he has persuaded his wife Natasha to dish up the food. Even Natasha expects to be paid.

``I will kiss the International Transport Workers' Federation inspector R Maruti if he can get us our dues,'' said Natasha pointing at the inspector's cheeks.

As for the others, they are worried about their impoverished families back home. The smiles are clouded by concern that while they might be getting their rations, their wives and children could be starving as they have been unable to repatriate funds.

``I have small children in my native place near Vladivostok, a port on the Black Sea. The condition of the other crew members is no better,'' said Igor, a seamen.

According to Nikisov, the crew's problems started about 20 months ago, when the vessel sailed out of Vladivostok port with a cargo of chemicals. The ship called on Mumbai harbour on October 4 and it is still not clear when she will sail out.

``At first we thought the Russian owner would clear our dues in a month. A month soon became a year and today it is more than 20 months,'' lamented Nikisov. ``It is not true that we are not paid at all. Some have received between 50-150 dollars in four months. I have not taken a penny in the last nine months so that the money could be distributed among the more deserving crew members,'' added the vessel's master.

Matters worsened when the owner Roman Maetrnov not only refused to pay the dues but planned to surrender the ship to the bankers, whom he owed about $ 700,000. The banker's representative, who was onboard the vessel in Mumbai harbour on November 17, felt the ship may have to be sold as scrap. He, however, declined to help the crew, according to Nikisov.

Another crew member said the owner paid him only $ 400 when his mother died in St Petersburg last year. ``The money was not enough for my one way travel, leave alone burying my mother. Thanks to $ 1000 which I had saved over the years, I could reach home.''

The plight of the Russian crew came to light when the ITF inspector Maruti boarded the vessel recently. The vessel was detained and the ship's agent in Mumbai requested to the provide the crew with food, water and other provision. ``The vessels may have to be detained for another three months before the due amount of $ 140,000 could be recovered and paid to the crew,'' Maruti told this reporter adding, ``The vessel and the crew are yet another victim of flag of convenience system.''

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.