Leaked memo reveals MSC Cruises ‘will not be paying some crew members who are stuck onboard its ships’ as they wait to be let back into their home countries
- Crew members of ships operated by MSC Cruises have reportedly been told that they will not be paid while waiting repatriation onboard the vessels
- Those employees were also told that they would not ‘be requested to work’ while ‘awaiting repatriation’, according to two letters sent to the company’s employees
- MSC Cruises assured workers that they would be ‘provided with single cabin accommodation, food and beverage services and medical assistance’ on ships
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
A leaked memo has reportedly revealed that MSC Cruises will not be paying some of its crew members who are stranded aboard the company’s ships due to the coronavirus pandemic while awaiting repatriation.
According to Business Insider, the company’s managing director Mario Aponte sent two letters to its employees dated for April 1.
In both letters, some workers whose ’employment on board had reached a contractual end’ were told they would ‘not be paid’.
Those employees were also reportedly told that they would not ‘be requested to work’ while ‘awaiting repatriation’.
A leaked memo has reportedly revealed that MSC Cruises will not be paying some of its crew members (pictured onboard the MSC Splendida in March) who are stranded aboard the company’s ships due to the coronavirus pandemic while awaiting repatriation
The company also told employees that it was contacting their respective countries in order to facilitate repatriation. The MSC Splendida is seen approaching the port of Genoa, Italy, on March 27
The company told employees that it was contacting their respective countries in order to facilitate repatriation.
In one of the letters, workers were told that their contracts were terminated ‘as of the date of the lay-up,’ according to Business Insider.
A ship’s lay-up is defined as the date that all of the ship’s passengers were disembarked.
‘You will be paid all outstanding wages up to that date,’ Aponte reportedly wrote.
MSC Cruises did assure employees that they would be ‘provided with single cabin accommodation, food and beverage services, medical assistance, access to education via our e-learning platform, and free social communication through the ship’s IT system’.
On Friday, the CDC extended its ‘no sail’ order for the cruise industry for a further 100 days, leaving 100 ships and 80,000 crew members stranded off the US coast.
In one of the letters, workers were told that their contracts were terminated ‘as of the date of the lay-up,’ according to Business Insider. A ship’s lay-up is defined as the date that all of the ship’s passengers were disembarked. MSC Splendida crew members pictured March 27
MSC Cruises assured workers that they would be ‘provided with single cabin accommodation, food and beverage services, medical assistance and free social communication through the ship’s IT system’. MSC Splendida crew members pictured in March
At least 20 of these ships have known or suspected cases of coronavirus on-board, the agency said.
Cruise liners are coming under pressure to make repatriation plans for their sailors after a 50-year-old crew member on the Zaandam became the latest victim of coronavirus on a cruise ship last week.
Extending their order, CDC director Robert Redfield said: ‘The measures we are taking today to stop the spread of COVID-19 are necessary to protect Americans.
‘We will continue to provide critical public health guidance to the industry to limit the impacts of COVID-19 on its workforce throughout the remainder of this pandemic.’
Most passengers have already been evacuated and placed onto repatriation flights back to their home countries or within the US.