The Turkish owner of the cargo ship Lady Mina has left six sailors stranded in the Port of Las Palmas. The crew, consisting of five Azerbaijanis and one Georgian, has not received their wages since May 1st, accumulating a debt exceeding 59,500 euros. The situation is compounded by the ship's engine failure, preventing navigation and leading to its immobilization at the Nelson Mandela quay.
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has publicly denounced the case and is working on the crew's repatriation to their home countries. According to the union's complaint, some crew members have been on board longer than permitted by the Maritime Labour Convention of 2006, which sets a maximum of 11 months. Gonzalo Galán, ITF inspector in Las Palmas, highlighted "serious deficiencies" in the ship's condition, including malfunctioning refrigerators, and described the situation as "abandoned to their fate".
The cargo ship, flying the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, arrived at La Luz last May from Tanzania. Following the engine breakdown, the owner promised repairs, but the vessel remains docked without resolution. The Maritime Authority of Las Palmas has immobilized the ship after discovering it was sailing with allegedly fraudulent documentation and lacking mandatory certificates, which has made it impossible to verify its Tanzanian registered flag.
The ITF, along with the altruistic organization Stella Maris, has been providing food and water to the crew while their employment situation is resolved. "They are desperate," states Galán, "not only because they haven't been paid, but also because they are losing the opportunity to board other vessels or find other work by not being able to return home." Although the owner has agreed to supply food and fuel, they have shown no intention of paying the owed wages.
The situation of the Lady Mina is "far too common in ports," according to the ITF. The organization estimates that since 2004, 1,713 ships have been abandoned worldwide. So far this year, 157 cases have been reported, compared to 409 in 2025 and 312 in 2024. The ITF is now working on repatriation under "humanitarian emergency" grounds and pursuing legal proceedings for wage recovery, which could involve the auctioning of the ship.
