Stolt-Kikyo Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) continues its rigorous efforts to address the issue of underpaid maritime workers, targeting yet another vessel in Australian waters. The ITF has revealed that the crew aboard the Stolt Kikyo, a parcel tanker built in 1998 and weighing 11,545 dwt, docked in Tasmania’s Davenport this morning, currently faces significant wage claims. The 24 Chinese seafarers on board have reportedly been deprived of their wages for the last two months, accruing a total of about A$250,000 in unpaid salaries. Furthermore, they have not received the coastal trading payments mandated by Australian regulations. This situation comes amidst ITF's overarching campaign aimed at safeguarding job opportunities for Australian seafarers against a backdrop of increasing competition from foreign crew members. The Stolt Kikyo is now docked not far from the Alexander Spirit, which has been stationed at Devonport for over a week after its crew was dismissed. The ITF alleges that the crew was replaced with foreign workers earning as low as $2 per hour, exacerbating the situation. The Stolt Kikyo, registered under the Liberian flag, is jointly owned by Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and Stolt-Nielsen. For NYK, this incident marks another unfortunate chapter in its relationship with the Australian maritime landscape.