Seafarers Sue Thai Shipping Company Over Strait Of Hormuz Attack, Claim Labour Rights Violations
Bangkok, July 10: Three former crew members of a Thai cargo ship attacked in the Strait of Hormuz have filed a lawsuit against the vessel’s operator, alleging labour rights violations and unfair dismissal.
The lawsuit was filed on Friday against Precious Shipping Co., two affiliated companies and the ship’s captain by former crew members Panithi Tumkaew, Noppadon Wongsuvan and Surades Manpuen.
The cargo ship Mayuree Naree was struck by a projectile north of Oman on March 11, killing three crew members. The remaining 20 sailors were rescued and returned to Thailand about a week later.
According to the workers’ lawyer Kunpat Singhathong, the lawsuit alleges that the company put the crew’s lives at risk by allowing the vessel to sail through the Strait of Hormuz despite security concerns.
The three sailors were also allegedly dismissed before completing their nine-month contracts after the attack left the ship inoperable. They received compensation equivalent to two months’ salary, which the lawyer said was insufficient as they were later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The former crew members are seeking compensation of more than one million baht (around USD 30,000) each. The case was filed before the Central Labor Court in Bangkok after negotiations with the company failed.
Panithi, who had worked with Precious Shipping for over a decade, said he has been unable to return to work due to trauma caused by the attack.
Precious Shipping has not commented on the lawsuit but earlier expressed condolences to the families of those killed and said it remained committed to providing support to them.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route carrying a significant share of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. Concerns over the safety of seafarers in the region have grown, particularly among Asian countries whose citizens form a large part of international ship crews.
