Recently, during a Port State Control (PSC) inspection on an internationally voyaging vessel berthed in its jurisdiction, PSC inspectors from Panjin Maritime Safety Administration keenly identified and verified a major maritime labor deficiency involving 21 crew members who had not received their full wages for two consecutive months. Through extensive coordination and enforcement follow-up by the PSC inspectors, the crew successfully recovered over 1 million yuan in back wages within just five hours, turning the crew members' "worry over pay" into a heartwarming resolution.

"It felt off as soon as we boarded—the crew were generally low-spirited and in poor mental state," recalled Xiu Tong, the PSC inspector who participated in the inspection. As the investigation deepened, the truth gradually came to light. After a careful review of the Seafarer Employment Agreements (SEA), monthly payroll vouchers, and bank statements, Xiu Tong confirmed that the 21 crew members on board had not received their full remuneration for two consecutive months, with the total amount in arrears exceeding 1 million yuan. The shipowner delayed payments on the grounds of "slow returns in the shipping market," and no effective contingency plan for wage arrears had been established on board. This conduct seriously violated the core requirement of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 that seafarers' wages must be paid on a monthly basis.

Faced with this major maritime labor deficiency, Panjin Maritime Safety Administration promptly assessed the risks and decisively included the issue as a priority closure item in its follow-up process, aiming to resolve the dispute at its nascent stage. On the one hand, maritime law enforcement officers clearly communicated the legal red lines to the shipowner and the management company, provided detailed information on regulations protecting crew rights and interests, explained legal liabilities and operational risks, and urged the company to face the issue squarely and rectify it immediately. On the other hand, they documented each crew member's claims item by item, promptly established a communication channel, and facilitated full consultations among the ship management company, the shipowner's representative, and the crew, eventually securing a one‑time lump‑sum payment plan with a clear deadline.

To ensure that the rectification did not remain a mere verbal commitment, the maritime authority closely tracked the entire wage disbursement process. From the finalization of the payment plan to the moment the last installment was credited to the crew members' accounts, the whole process took only five hours. Afterward, enforcement officers conducted individual telephone follow-ups with all 21 crew members to confirm that the full back wages had been received.