281 Pinoy crew members of stricken Concordia ship get $2-M in benefits Out of the 291 Filipino crew members of the Italian cruise ship "Costa Concordia" which ran aground and sank in January, 281 crewmen have received $2.048 million in benefits. The Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the claims of the 281 Filipino crew members have been settled following the DOLE's Single Entry Approach (SENA) conciliation-mediation program. In a news release, the DOLE said its National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) reported that the 281 crew members received their checks, "ranging from a low of $553 to as high as $12,610." "Ten claimants were still in the provinces and, therefore, have yet to appear at the NCMB offices to receive their checks," the DOLE said. The amount given to the seafarers represents the claims of the seafarers for: • the unexpired embarkation contract or "Contract Honour Compensation," and • loss of personal belongings. The DOLE said the average claim of an affected seafarer was pegged at $7,000. “We happily note that the Filipino crew of the 'Costa Concordia' has benefitted from one of the DOLE’s flagship reform programs, the 30-day conciliation-mediation services under the SENA, which is now being implemented nationwide to all labor issues. The conciliation-mediation of the NCMB of the seafarers’ claims was fast,” Baldoz said. SENA The SENA, institutionalized under Department Order No. 107 in 2010 is an alternative dispute settlement mechanism. It provides a speedy and inexpensive settlement procedure to prevent labor conflicts from becoming full-blown disputes. NCMB chief labor and employment officer Delia Yu said the management and OFWs of Magsaysay Maritime Corp., the local manning agency of Costa Crociere, operator of Costa Concordia, appeared before the NCMB February 1 to avail of the SENA. After a discussion on the salient points of the seafarers’ final release and settlement documents, the parties mutually agreed on the settlement by February 6. On January 13 this year, "Costa Concordia" struck a rock in the Tyrrhean Sea just off the shore of Isola del Giglio, near the western coast of Italy. This caused a 160 foot-long gash in her hull, causing it to run aground and eventually sink. "All but 33 of the 3,229 passengers and crew of 1,023, which included the 291 Filipino seafarers, were saved," the DOLE said Source:- http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/stor...f-stricken-concordia-ship-get-2-m-in-benefits
Thats just over $7000 each then in my shakey math. Most shipping companies only insure your belongings for about 200 quid. So they got a reasonable deal really and a fast payout. Hopefully they'll all find a new gig somewhere soon
