Crew from the Russian-owned superyacht Alfa Nero are finally receiving a six-figure payment – monies owed to them for work performed while on board.
The news of the payout to members of Nautilus International follows a court decision in Antigua in December 2024 which has finally resulted in the transfer of £890,000 to the Union’s lawyers in Antigua.
Nautilus has also put in an application to amend the court order for a further £331,000, which would ensure that some members receive an even larger payout, as it appears to the Union that the court has miscalculated their owed wages.
Alfa Nero was allegedly owned by fertiliser billionaire Andrey Guryev. The superyacht was arrested by Nautilus in Antigua following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, after the Union was contacted by crew who had not received owed wages.
An Antiguan High Court judgment in December 2023 established that crew would receive payment at the rates originally agreed upon in their contracts.
Unfortunately, unpaid wages remain a serious problem in this industry.
Charles Boyle
However, Nautilus points out that the timing of the payment was not set in this judgment, because unpaid wages are usually funded through the sale of the vessel.
Alfa Nero was finally sold to an undisclosed buyer for US$40 million in July 2024, opening the way for members to finally receive their unpaid wages.
Attempts by the government of Antigua and Barbuda to auction the vessel were complicated by a claim from Guryev’s daughter that she was the vessel’s true owner and that the seizure and sale was therefore illegal.
“This legal process has been long and gruelling, involving much cooperation with our yacht team,” said Nautilus director of legal services Charles Boyle.
“Although this is a welcome milestone in the Alfa Nero case, we appealed against some aspects of the judgment of December 2023 case, which ruled that double pay and some other entitlements were not recoverable. We are still awaiting a date for the appeal to be determined.”
He added: “Unfortunately, unpaid wages remain a serious problem in this industry.”
