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[jaymac]

Might be of interest to anyone with merchant shipping connections.
https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a-face-through-time-further-opening-up-our-prisoner-of-war-records/?utm_source=emailmarketing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_mailer__7_october_2021&utm_content=2021-10-07

[dodes]

I do not know if it is widely known, but with a merchant seaman unlike a R.N. seaman, the moment their ship is sunk they are go off the payroll and their families at home have no income.

[jaymac]

Did that not stop in1941?

[dodes]

May have done officially, but ship owners being hard nose business men I cannot see them paying if they can get out of it. I did see a programme about the war and shipping and several women said that they went to get their allotment , only to be told there was none as the ship was lost.

[RST]

I read from Google there's an indemnity clause which means nowadays they are entitled for 2 months at regular salary (applies to military and civilian) then after that I guess it's down to company.  Not sure if this applies across the board, may even be linked to flag state.  Just something I read googling after seeing this thread.

[dodes]

A lot depends now on what is in the articles in the official log book which has the crew list, as mention there is an international agreements, but there are peculiarities with different national authorities, remember when the Gueese Line (the banana boats) where reflag to Norwegian flag, some were sacked within 6 months, one 1st mate with 35 years service got no redundancy payments because he had less than 6 months under the Norwegian flag. Also the Master does not sign the crew list as he is under a separate contract to the owners and has the most litigations job in the world, as he represents the owners and is responsible for every crew member and the vessel plus cargo.