MS Langøysund is a day trip boat operating every summer from Longyearbyen in the Isfjord area. Every day from June to September, it is sailing to Barentsburg or Pyramiden, passing highlights of nature including glaciers and bird cliffs.
The ongoing season is, so far, not going too well for Langøysund and the owner company. A few weeks ago, the ship ran aground in Borebukta. The hull was damaged and the passengers had to continue their journey back to Longyearbyen on another ship. At least it did not take too long before Langøysund was repared and cleared for sailing again.
Now, the owner company, Henningsen Transport og Guiding (HTG) in Longyearbyen, is facing accusations of paying illegal low wages to the crew. Already in April, the responsible union (Norsk Sjømannsforbund) had to take action to make sure the crew, which is largely of Philippine nationality, is getting Norwegian contract, as required by Norwegian law for any ship sailing under Norwegian flag.
During a control in Longyearbyen it turned out that the crew has got Norwegian contracts, but is not getting the wages according to it. According to contract and Norwegian law, the minimum wage for crew on ships under Norwegian flag is 5,000 US-$ plus overtime pay, which can be expected to be significant. But according to Norsk Sjømannsforbund, the crew see hardly 1,500 US-$. Cooperation with the Philippines is difficult for the union, as they fear to be black-listed by their contracting agency even if their wages are, in theory, guaranteed by law.
According to the owner, HTG, the contract partner of the crew members is an agency in Manila, which is receiving payment from HTG to distribute it to the individual crew members. HTG states that contract and payment are correct and does not consider to provide documentation of payment to Norsk Sjømannsforbund as required. The union has set a deadline which ran out today (Thursday) at 9 a.m. As Norsk Sjømannsforbund has not received any payment documentation, they have now announced to arrest the ship.
HTG is facing similar accusations on MS Billefjord, another day trip boat, new in the business in Spitsbergen. In this case, HTG is not the owner, but largely responsible for the management.
MS Langøysund in Ymerbukta. Is the crew getting illegal low wages?
This and other publishing products of the Spitsbergen publishing house in the Spitsbergen-Shop.
Norwegens arktischer Norden (1): Spitzbergen
Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German. [shop url="https://shop.spitzbergen.de/en/polar-books/70-norwegens-arktischer-norden-1-aerial-arctic-9783937903262.html"] ← Back
Lofoten, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen from the air - Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German, but there is very little text, so I am sure that you will enjoy it regardless which languages you read (or not).
The companion book for the Svalbardhytter poster. The poster visualises the diversity of Spitsbergen‘s huts and their stories in a range of Arctic landscapes. The book tells the stories of the huts in three languages.
Comprehensive guidebook about Spitsbergen. Background (wildlife, plants, geology, history etc.), practical information including travelling seasons, how to travel, description of settlements, routes and regions.
Join an exciting journey with dog, skis and tent through the wintery wastes of East Greenland! We were five guys and a dog when we started in Ittoqqortoormiit, the northernmost one of two settlements on Greenland’s east coast.
12 postcards which come in a beautifully designed tray. Beautiful images from South Georgia across Antarctica from the Antarctic Peninsula to the Ross Sea and up to Macquarie Island and Campbell Island.