East African Seafarers official Andrew Mwangura (centre) on February 10, 2015 receives crew of the yatch Midsummer who were abandoned by the owner in Kenya's coast. Kenyan and Tanzanian shipowners are being accused of flouting labour laws and underpaying seafarers. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
· Documents seen by The EastAfrican show that seafarers are paid between $250 and $450. This is below the $800 to $1,000 basic wages under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) and the ITF.
· Seamen are also not allowed to work for more than seven months without a break. However, these guidelines apply only to vessels operating beyond East African territorial waters.
