Goundar Shipping scammed more than 20 Filipino seafarers into travelling to Fiji to operate and maintain its fleet of passenger and cargo ferries. The employees were not given the salary, working conditions, or the return flights they were promised.

By February 2021, many of the crew are 18 months over their contract. They want to go home but cannot afford to pay for their own flights. When three employees told the company they wanted to speak to union representatives about their rights, they were fired and abandoned late at night with no access to food, transportation, or accommodation, instantly becoming homeless in Fiji.

Canadians should note that George Goundar is a former employee of BC Ferries, and BC Ferries has had several high profile business dealings with him and his eponymous Shipping Company. These dealings include sale of the Queen of Prince Rupert, Queen of Chilliwack, and most recently the Queen of Nanaimo. It is deeply disturbing to think BC Ferries’ once proud vessels are being used for human trafficking.

Please sign this petition demanding the Fijian government to punish Goundar Shipping's ongoing unethical labour practices and human rights violations, suspend its license to operate until they have compensated the Filipino crew for unpaid wages, and force the company to pay for the enslaved and stranded seafarers’ flights home.