What Crew Members Say About Orient-Glory

In a disturbing revelation, the crew aboard the Hong Kong-flagged vessel Gold River has reportedly been underpaid over $100,000 in what has been termed 'stolen wages.' The ship was transporting petroleum coke to Alcoa's Portland refinery located in Victoria, marking it as the second instance in recent months where a vessel associated with the aluminium titan Alcoa has encountered serious allegations of crew exploitation. Amid increasing scrutiny, unions are urging Alcoa to adopt more stringent oversight of its contractors. This week, representatives from the international seafarers' union boarded the Gold River, which was docked at Alcoa's Portland terminal, to conduct inspections and engage with the ship's Chinese crew while reviewing their payroll records. As a result of these inspections, the ship's operator has consented to disburse $112,000 in owed payments to the crew, as reported by the International Transport Workers Federation. Notably, Pacific Basin, the Hong Kong-based company that owns Gold River, has refrained from making any public comments on the matter. This news emerges just days after Gold River took over the port position vacated by Alcoa's MV Portland, which was removed from service on Tuesday following prolonged industrial disputes.