Fears have been raised 15 Indian nationals could be stranded in Aberdeen “for weeks, if not months” after a supply vessel was detained amid allegations crew had not been paid.
The MV Malaviya Seven and a sister ship in Great Yarmouth – the Malaviya Twenty – were both held by authorities after it was claimed those working on board had not received their wages for at least two months.
The vessels were detained by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) union with the support of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
Both boats are owned by India-based GOL Offshore.
Seafarers’ charity Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) has been providing pastoral and emotional support to the crew of the Malaviya Seven, which is docked at Aberdeen harbour’s Trinity Quay.
The RMT union said the incident was an example of “modern day slavery”, while Aberdeen politicians Callum McCaig and Kirsty Blackman have contacted Home Secretary Theresa May calling for an investigation.
AoS Aberdeen port chaplain, Doug Duncan, said he had spent time with the crew after the vessel was detained.
He said: “They just want to get paid and go home.
“However, we fear that their ordeal could drag on for weeks, if not months, because of the huge amount of money involved.
“Their predicament is made worse as they are stranded miles away from their homes and family members.”
The charity said it was working closely with the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and other maritime-based representatives involved in the case.
The Malaviya Seven is understood to have been chartered to carry out work for a number of companies, including BP, Dana Petroleum and Premier Oil.
Both vessels are expected to be detained until the workers on board have been paid.
Alison Woods, an Aberdeen-based partner at law firm CMS, said there was a “real risk” of similar incidents occurring in the North Sea
She said: “This incident emphasises the reputational risks arising from contractors, and the importance of carrying out due diligence along the various tiers of your supply chain.
“The expectation within the recent modern slavery legislation is that companies will focus on key risk areas, but it is very difficult to eliminate the risk entirely.”