Courts / Dublin / Report

Evidence including Navy tracking data not enough to back up claims by migrant fishermen

Summary

The Workplace Relations Commission found that the evidence supplied by migrant fishermen Mohamed Shokr Ghonim and Khaled Elagamy, including Naval Service tracking data, was insufficient to support their claims of working 20 hours a day on the Dublin‑based prawn boat Nausicaa. The tribunal awarded each fisherman €3,500 for breaches of the Organisation of Working Time Act and €1,000 for breaches of the Terms of Employment (Information) Act, but rejected their claims for unpaid minimum wage arrears of €61,649.96 and €65,326.31. The fishermen alleged that they worked up to 20 hours a day, averaging 17 hours at sea, and that the vessel's logs showed discrepancies between recorded times and actual work. The owner, Richard Brannigan, denied the wage claims, arguing that the boat could only operate nine or ten days at sea and that the maximum working day was ten to twelve hours.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Evidence including Navy tracking data not enough to back up claims by migrant fishermen. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• September 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
• January 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
• August 2021 Other
• 2024-04-04 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

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Read the original CNI report