A Brazilian labor court ordered the payment of fines, wages, overtime and “moral damages” to eleven (11) crew of the MSC Magnifica after finding that they had been subjected to working conditions similar to “slaves.” You can read the order here.According to Defonsoria Publica Da Uniao, in 2014 eleven crew members were “rescued” from the MSC cruise ship and alleged to have been forced to work up to 16 hours a day and were subjected to abuse and sexual harassment.
In a blockbuster order, the labor court determined that crew members during contracts between eight to 12 months duration, the MSC crew members were required to work excessive hours and were mistreated. In addition to suffering intense bullying, the stewards and waiters had to work excessive daily hours (13-16 hours a day) without the right to adequate rest.
The labor court awarded R$330,000 to the eleven crew members. MSC Cruises denies that it engaged in any wrongful conduct and says that it intends to appeal the labor court’s decision.
