It is claimed that the shipping company Hraðfrystihúsið Gunnvör has banned Júlíus Geirmundsson’s crew from talking to the media about the COVID-19 outbreak on board the ship. But a crew member has now stepped forward for an interview RUV.
Despite the company’s ban and threats to job security, words should be received, Arnar Hilmarsson said in the interview: “My expression on the issue is infinitely more valuable than my work on board.”
22 of the 25 crew members on board the ship developed COVID-19 symptoms and were forced to work for three weeks despite various illnesses. The youngest crew member is 19 years old and the oldest is in his seventies.
“The one who got sick is the hardest I know and he allowed himself to work, sick, for three shifts,” said Arnar. “He became so ill that it was impossible for him to work any longer. It was so hard to watch him being taken to the hospital. “He also stated in the interview that HG’s reaction to the outbreak is an indication of the company’s behavior towards health and safety before.
“We did not know what COVID-19 was”
Júliús Geirmundsson’s chief engineer, Þór Ólafur Helgason, says that he has not noticed that many of the crew have become very ill and denies that people have been sent sick to work.
“It was not like that,” he said. “These are not slave camps. No one was sent sick to work. “
Einar Valur Kristjánsson, CEO of HG, apologized for the company’s mistakes in treating the infection and said that the company’s management did not “know” COVID-19. “This is new,” he said in an interview Indicator. “Nobody knew COVID. We did not know what it was. It came in March and we did not know it. I’m not saying we do not know what COVID is right now. Of course, according to the rules of procedure, we were supposed to report this to the Coast Guard, but it was not done. It was never the intention of the shipping company or the captain to endanger the heath or life. “
Company denies media ban
Einar Valur also denies that the crew was banned from speaking to the media and said: “This is a serious matter and we want to send a special message to our employees, just an apology for the matter. We hope they recover soon. “
Of the 22 crew members diagnosed, 13 are still ill. The police in the Westfjords are now considering an investigation into the company’s operations.