RI seamen stranded in Iran brace for long, cold winter
RI seamen stranded in Iran brace for long, cold winter
JAKARTA (JP): Thirteen Indonesian seamen stranded in Iran
since last June are bracing for a long and cold winter as no
agency appears to be willing to extend help.
The Indonesian embassy in Teheran said in a statement received
here Thursday that the seamen were in poor condition as they had
not been getting enough food.
Now they were in dire need of proper clothing for the cold
winter, the embassy's chief spokesman Abas Basori said.
The 13 seamen were among 25 Indonesians who were employed by
the Iran Fishing Company (IFCO) to work on Jahad Fanoos fishing
vessel. They lost their job when the ship caught fire in June.
IFCO has already helped to repatriate 12 of the 25 seamen but
disclaims any responsibility for the other 13, the embassy said.
"We have approached IFCO to send the other 13 home but we have
not received a positive response," Abas said.
IFCO, according to Abas, blames CV Nusa Karya Jaya, the
Indonesian company which supplied the workers in the first place,
for sending seamen that did not meet standard qualifications.
In Jakarta, Nusa Karya Jaya manager Sartono told The Jakarta
Post that his company no longer accept any responsibility for the
fate of the stranded seamen.
"IFCO is to blame in this case," he said.
Under the contract between IFCO and the seamen, IFCO is
responsible for their repatriation and the one months' worth of
salary due in cases of force majeure, like the ship fire.
Sartono said he has repeatedly sent facsimiles asking IFCO to
handle the case in accordance with the contract.
He said he has also contacted the Iranian Embassy in Indonesia
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for intervention.
The Ministry of Manpower yesterday said that in spite of the
contract, Nusa Karya Jasa should still take responsibility for
the return of the seamen.
The chief of the promotion and marketing of the Directorate
General of Labor Export, Agus Sugijanto, said the company's
representatives were summoned last September and explicitly told
that they have to bring the seamen home.
Agus recalled that the company then pledged to help.
"The company cannot avoid its responsibility. It should meet
its pledge of repatriating the seamen," he told the Post. (rms)