When the employer’s obligation to return the seaman ceases (i. e. after the end of 3 months), the wages must be paid within 28 days of the obligation ceasing.
If the employer does not know the seaman’s whereabouts, an Account of Wages (ASW) and a notice that the wages may be obtained on application to the employer must be sent to the seaman’s last known address. The master must keep all records of expenses incurred in leaving the seaman behind. If the master is authorised to make a deduction from wages (e. g. because the seaman is AWOL), the employer must render an account of all expenses and sums to the seaman or his next-of-kin, as appropriate, when paying the wages.
