Last 4 of the 7 Malaviya sailors return home after spending 18 months at sea

After more than 18 months adrift Mumbaikar Clay Vaz 53 finally reunited with his family on Friday Clay and three others were the last remaining crew onboard GOL Offshore Ltds vessel Malaviya 7 which was arrested last July at Aberdeen northeast of ScotlandThe entire crew had been stranded after the troubled company faced liquidation the members were directed by Scotlands court to stay put until the vessels sale money from which would be used to settle their pending salariesClay Vaz extreme right with the other remaining crew members at Aberdeen airportThe crew members had started returning to India in batches and this quartet was the last The border security police Scotland had given an ultimatum to the four to leave the vessel by November 24 or face deportation as their visas had expiredVaz with his wife and childrenReunited at lastSpeaking to midday Clay said We left just in the nick of time leaving behind painful memories of having spent more than a year and a half onboard with no money or future thousands of miles away from our loved ones in India On November 22 when Clay checked his email he saw that flight tickets had been mailed Thats how he found out they were returning He was so happy All of them were they were going back to their families after all said his wife AssumptionIt was a bittersweet moment for them they were happy that they would see their loved ones but sad to leave behind the families and bonds theyd made with those who helped them through a difficult time The Vaz household celebrated Clays return but unlike in the past he didnt have any chocolates or gifts for them He returned with a mere pound200 approximately Rs 17000 and a worry about the futureWhile hes decided to take some muchneeded rest and be at home with his wife and children for the next two months hes aware that his age is likely to pose a problem when he starts his job hunt I wont be able to do anything beyond technical work thats what I have done all these years onboard a vessel he saidThe sole supportGOL Offshore stopped paying for food water and other essentials March 2017 onwards and it was only because of the tremendous support from the International Transport Workers Federation ITF that we managed to survive We couldnt have just walked off without the requisite permission as our salaries and other emoluments that the company owed us would have got affected by our impulsive decision said ClayIn the last few months we became very close to the ITF members they would ensure that every Tuesday we were taken out of the vessel for sightseeing we didnt have a valid visa so they would arrange for the invitations which would give us access to places around Aberdeen and Scotland Given a chance would he visit Aberdeen port again It was an emphatic yes from Clay who said The sea is my second home and I love my job I would want my new job to be in the sea againWhen asked if he had visited GOL Offshores office in town Clay replied in the negative and said I heard that the office at Energy House has almost shut down with just a handful of people reporting to work Its unfortunate that a company I served for over 29 years which was known as the best offshore shipping company in the country is facing this manmade crisis today that has adversely impacted the lives of 1300 employees and their familiesI will go to the office on Monday and hand over my resignation letter as expected he added Ill also visit the Employee Provident Fund Office to check my account balance Because I was onboard I couldnt check earlier I hope the company has at least been adhering to the statutory obligation of depositing employees PF If not its going to be a dire situation for me I have given 29 years of my life to the companyA ray of hopeThe hopeless situation aside Malaviya 7 crew members have been given at least one reason to smile the sale of the vessel Though the exact amount is unclear Clay is confident that all those who were onboard the vessel will be paid their salaries and other emoluments from August 2016 till August 2017 And if theres any left after clearing the dues they will be entitled for additional payment for staying for extra days as per Scotlands court A crew member said In September 2017 the Aberdeen Sheriff Court had directed that the vessel be sold to recoup the wages owed to the crew approximately pound612000 by GOL OffshoreThe new captainAccording to Clay just a few days before they returned to India chief engineer a Polish national of the bidder company Hoyland Offshore visited the vessel and inspected itHe was friendly and we interacted with him with ease And just a day before our departure the new captain a Norwegian national came onboard and inspected the engine room Though we could not interact much with him we learnt that Hoyland Offshore had already refuelled the oil tanks with 200 kilolitres of fuel The company will also be paying the parking charges applicable from November 7 2017 onwards to Aberdeen port authorities approximately pound3500 pounds for four days added ClayHowever before it is allowed to sail the company will have to clear some technical glitches such has changing the vessels ownership Malaviya 7 is registered in Mumbai The vessel is in a sailing condition and has sufficient food and potable water onboard courtesy Stella Maris Apostleship of the Sea the international seafarers associationLawyers firstClay said that as per Scotland courts norms after it received payment from Hoyland Offshore dues of the solicitors who represented the case in court would be cleared first After that the crew would be paidWhen asked by when they are anticipating the money to be deposited into their accounts Clay said he was confident of it arriving by the second week of December at the most His dues of 11500 for the last 12 months come to around Rs 75 lakh he added which he rued wasnt sufficient to start a businessMeanwhile here in HCThe Bombay High Court had appointed a provisional liquidator on May 5 2017 for the process The bankrupt GOL Offshore owes crores of rupees to banks and financial institutions as well for availing huge loans The matter is due to be heard on December 4Subsequently the Bombay Stock Exchange suspended trading on the company which had 83000 shareholders and 1300 employees with 37 vessels Once an investors favourite with a BSE share price anywhere between R800 and Rs 850 until mid2000 it hit its lowest at Rs 1010 on July 18 2017 as per BSE recordsWhile most employees have been associated with the company for two to three decades industry sources and insiders have expressed helplessness in getting their dues and fear for the worst Over a hundred have been held at ransom with the last salaries to the office staff given in early July 2017 and those too were the wages of October 2016 Salaries since November 2016 are pending and the company has no intention of clearing those said an insiderAlso view 2611 Recap 20 terrifying images from the 2008 Mumbai terror 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