来自哥伦比亚、巴拿马和秘鲁的四名海员被无薪遗弃在一艘有60年历史的拖船上，这是美国一起令人震惊的海上剥削案件。

这艘名为威克里夫（Wycliffe）的船最近将船旗改成了瓦努阿图，使其能够逃避更严格的美国劳工和安全法规，其船员随后被困在华盛顿州的普吉特海湾（Puget Sound）。

在他们的船上合同期间，船员面临着恶劣的条件，包括食物不足、获得医疗服务的机会有限和水供应不足。

这种情况反映了全球海运业中令人不安的侵犯劳工权利的模式。

ITF检查员Cyrus Donato说：“对海员的剥削破坏了整个普吉特海湾海上运输系统的完整性。该地区以其海洋遗产而自豪，并将海员作为其文化认同的重要组成部分。”

“这艘船的船主战略性地将这艘拖船的旗号改为瓦努阿图，以逃避更严格的美国劳工和安全标准。这种玩世不恭的做法体现了不择手段的船东如何利用“方便旗”来最大限度地减少监管，并以牺牲海员的利益为代价来提高利润。”

“更糟糕的是，在这种情况下，将外国海员困在船上的法律限制实际上把他们的船变成了监狱。”

这些船员上周被遗弃，最初计划由美国海关和边境保护局驱逐出境。然而，在ITF的干预下，他们的离开被推迟，直到支付了进一步的工资。

Donato说：“船员处于弱势地位，缺乏通常为美国工人提供的保护。”“至关重要的是，他们必须得到全部补偿。试图以牺牲船员为代价来削减成本，然后试图在不解决他们的工资的情况下强行解雇他们，这实际上是一种强迫劳动。”

威克里夫号有着令人不安的历史，据报道，此前的船员曾在2023年10月和2024年5月出于安全考虑离开该船。此外，这艘拖船最近失去了与华盛顿州渡轮公司（Washington State ferry）签订的拖船合同，原因是两艘退役渡轮的拖船作业失败，原定于34天内运往厄瓜多尔（据信船主就在厄瓜多尔）报废。

一名仍在船上的海员告诉ITF：“船主只是在通过欺骗我们来拖延时间。我不再相信他说的任何话。我们不知道采取什么措施来解决我们的情况，也不知道需要多长时间”

一名前船员对其签证身份受到的影响表示担忧。他们说：“我担心我的签证会损坏。”

“如果船东破坏了我的签证状态，我将无法再在美国过境工作，这可能会破坏我养家糊口的能力。”

▲图源：网络，侵权必删

英文原文

Four seafarers from Colombia, Panama, and Peru have been abandoned without pay on a 60-year-old tugboat in an alarming case of maritime exploitation in the USA.

The vessel, Wycliffe, recently changed its flag to Vanuatu, enabling it to evade more stringent US labour and safety regulations, with its crew subsequently left stranded in Puget Sound, Washington.

The crew members faced dire conditions, including inadequate food, limited access to medical care, and insufficient water supplies during their onboard contract.

The situation reflects a troubling pattern of labour rights abuses within the global maritime industry.

ITF Inspector Cyrus Donato said: “The exploitation of seafarers undermines the integrity of the entire Puget Sound Marine Transportation system.  The region prides itself on its maritime heritage and depends on seafarers as a vital part of its cultural identity.”

“The vessel’s owners strategically re-flagged the tugboat to Vanuatu to escape more rigorous US labour and safety standards.  This cynical manoeuvre exemplifies how unscrupulous ship owners use ‘flags of convenience’ to minimise regulatory oversight and enhance profits at the expense of seafarers.

“Worse still, in this case, legal restrictions that trap foreign seafarers onboard have effectively turned their vessel into a prison.”

The seafarers were abandoned last week and were initially scheduled for deportation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.  However, following intervention by the ITF, their departure was delayed until further wage payments were made.

“The crew is in a vulnerable position and lacks the protections typically afforded to US-based workers,” said Donato.  “It is essential that they receive their complete compensation.  Attempting to cut costs at the expense of the crew and then attempting to have them forcibly removed without settling their salaries is effectively a form of forced labour.”

The Wycliffe has a troubling history, with previous crews reported to have left the vessel due to safety concerns in October 2023 and May 2024.  Additionally, the tugboat recently lost its tow contract with Washington State Ferries after a failed towing operation involving two retired ferries for a 34-day transit to Ecuador – where it is believed that the owner is based – for scrap.

One seafarer still aboard the vessel told the ITF: “The owner is just buying time by deceiving us.  I no longer believe anything he says.  We don’t know what steps to take to resolve our situation or how long it will take.”

A former crew member expressed concern about the impact on their visa status.  They said: “I am worried about damage to my visa.

“If the owner harms my visa status, I won’t be able to do any more transits in the United States for work, which could destroy my ability to support my family.” 

免责申明：本文根据外网内容整理，如有误差，以英文为准；仅代表作者观点，不代表中国海员之家立场。其真实性及原创性未能得到中国海员之家证实，在此感谢原作者的辛苦创作，如转载涉及版权等问题，请作者与我们联系，我们将在第一时间处理，谢谢！联系邮箱：cnisu@54seaman.com