ITF alerts over Lady Mina as crew takes legal action for $68,000 in unpaid wages amid ongoing contract violations.
ITF Issues Alarm for Lady Mina: Crew Initiates Legal Process for $68,000 Wage Claim
The ship is recorded under different flags in various records, showing it as flagged in St. Kitts and Nevis in some, and in Tanzania in others, while its operation is noted to have Turkish connections.
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) announced a new abandonment case concerning the general cargo ship Lady Mina, stating that the crew had not received their salaries for an extended period and were retained on board despite the expiration of their contracts. The Federation is providing legal support for the recovery of the crew's total wage claim of $68,000 and has initiated legal proceedings for the ship's detention.
The process began when a crew member requested assistance from the ITF while the Lady Mina was in the Port of Las Palmas, Spain, in May 2026. An inspection conducted by ITF Canary Islands Inspector Gonzalo Galan revealed serious deficiencies in both the technical condition of the ship and the living and working conditions of the crew.
According to the inspection, six seafarers are still on board. It was noted that the seafarer who requested assistance had been working on the ship for over 13 months despite the expiration of their employment contract, thus exceeding the maximum service period of 11 months stipulated by the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006). The same inspection recorded that two seafarers had been on board since April 2025, while the chief engineer had been serving since October 2024 and continued to work without pay since January 2026.
Evaluating the situation he encountered on the ship, ITF Inspector Gonzalo Galan stated that the crew had been completely abandoned, noting that the chief engineer had not received a salary for six months but continued to operate the ship as he had no other options. Galan remarked that this was not merely negligence but a clear case of abandonment.
Following the ITF's report to the Spanish Maritime Authority, Lady Mina was detained. The Federation also claimed that the ship was sailing without the necessary legal certifications and that the financial security documents required for the protection of seafarers under the Maritime Labour Convention appeared to be fraudulent.
In the initial phase, the shipowner facilitated the return of two crew members to their home countries and paid their overdue wages. Food and drinking water were also delivered to the ship to meet the crew's urgent needs. However, the ITF stated that despite the weeks that had passed, other seafarers whose contracts had expired had still not been sent back to their countries, no attempts had been made for the repair of the ship, and remaining wage payments had not been made.
In response, the federation initiated legal proceedings for the detention of the ship on behalf of the crew, while volunteers from Stella Maris, who support seafarers, also delivered additional food aid to the ship.
The Same Ship Had Previously Made Headlines
The name Lady Mina has not come to the forefront for the first time due to the abandonment of its crew. The ship was recorded in the ILO/IMO Joint Database on Abandonment of Seafarers in December 2024 for failing to pay its crew for months and leaving personnel on board at the Port of Djen Djen, Algeria.
Additionally, during a Port State Control (PSC) inspection conducted in Ghana in February 2026, 18 separate deficiencies were identified on the ship. The inspection report indicated serious deficiencies related to the structural condition of the ship, fire safety, radio systems, and the working and living conditions of the crew.
The Lady Mina, built in 1989 and with a capacity of approximately 3,400 DWT, has conflicting information regarding its flag in different databases. Some records show the ship as flagged in St. Kitts and Nevis, while others indicate it is flagged in Tanzania, with its operation noted to have Turkish connections.
The ITF has pointed out that cases of seafarer abandonment have significantly increased worldwide in recent years, calling on flag states, port states, and relevant authorities to conduct more effective inspections to ensure that shipowners fulfill their legal obligations.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
