PUNTA ARENAS-CHILE

“Pardehlas” case close to an end
The legal controversy over arrears and redundancy payments for Peruvian crew members of the fishing vessels “Pardelhas” and “Almourol” stranded for several years in Punta Arenas seems close to an end. A Peruvian legal counsellor sent to Punta Arenas on request of the Peruvian consulate has been working for the last three months on two main demands presented in the local Labour Court: unjustified redundancy of the crewmembers of both vessels, and a two years arrears payment claim. However the captain of the “Pardelhas”, Roberto Dassé, apparently following instructions from the “Pardelhas Fishing Company”, has argued that the crewmembers were fired last July 19 when they refused to return to the vessel. But the plaintiff Augusto Urmeneta Pereyra responded that the “Pardelhas” has been grounded and seriously listed for several months now and living conditions onboard were appallingly inhuman, so much that Punta Arenas port authorities have banned access to the vessel for safety reasons. Both vessels originally belonging to a Portuguese company with South Atlantic partners have been in litigation with the abandoned crew for over two years. Punta Arenas authorities and local unions have been supporting the crewmembers, mostly Peruvian nationals who promised not to leave the vessels until they were paid.