Report: Offshore ‘slave ship’ released in Aberdeen

The Malaviya Seven offshore support vessel, detained in UK in June over ‘slave-like’ conditions aboard, has reportedly been released.

To remind, the Indian-flagged vessel, with Indian crew, had been detained since June 15, after the authorities in Aberdeen, Scotland, seized the vessel upon the discovery that the owner GOL Offshore had not paid wages to the workers, and that some seafarers employment agreements were invalid.

At the time, the RMT union slammed what it described as a “blatant example of modern day slavery.”

Reportedly, fifteen Indian nationals worked on the vessel at the time of detainment, with none receiving any kind of payment for at least two months, and some for an even longer period.

The vessel was released on August 4, following the payment of the wages to the crew, and repatriation of seafarers with expired employment agreements, Evening Express reported, citing a spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Data disclosed by RMT reveals that the “MV Malaviya Seven” has been on recent charter in the UK offshore sector with BP, Wood Group, Dana and Premier Oil.

While the wages might have been paid now, RMT in June pointed to the fact the crew of Malaviya Seven had been hired to work for around $2 per hour, less than a fifth of the UK National Minimum Wage provisions.

Offshore Energy Today staff