
Issue No 41		26 November 1999

LaborNET	Ask Neale	Tool of the Week

News

Inspectors to Act on Ships of Shame

By Zoe Reynolds

Forty inspectors of the International Transport Workers Federation will blitzkrieg foreign ships entering Australian ports next week.

The lightning strikes are part of the ITF Asia Pacific Week of Action against the growing exploitation of third world seafarers on flag of convenience vessels.

The London based ITF, a federation of the world's transport workers unions, representing more than five million workers in 120 nations, targets the region for action each year.

Co-ordination centres have been set up in Sydney, Tokyo and New Delhi. ITF inspectors throughout the Asia Pacific will be carrying out spot checks on all wage books and contracts on all FOC ships.

Inspectors will ensure crew are being paid a living wage and working fair conditions in accordance with their contracts of employment. They will be looking for evidence of double book keeping or falsified wage records.

"We're ensuring it really is a blitzkrieg this year," said ITF executive board member and MUA National Secretary John Coombs. "We've targeted 150 vessels in 20 Australian ports. "While we only have four full time ITF inspectors in Australia, we've trained up more than 30 rank and file maritime workers to take part in the action.

This strategy has been developed over six weeks in conjunction with MUA branches and inspectors. It marks a significant pro-active change in the campaign against flag of convenience shipping in Australian ports."

"What's happening is ship owners are recruiting crew through manning agents from labour hire countries like Indonesia, the Philippines or Burma, paying them a pittance and using intimidation to have them sign falsified wage records," he said. "Crew are treated like modern day kanaki labour. They are often threatened or bribed not to talk to the ITF. The result? This gross exploitation is undercutting national flag fleet operations and driving them out of business."

ITF co-ordinator Trevor Charles said where cases of fraudulent wage records were uncovered the ITF would, if necessary initiate legal action on behalf of the crew.

Unlike national flag fleets, Flags of Convenience vessels are registered or flagged in one country, owned in another, managed in a third and crewed in a fourth.

Inspectors will be phoning in to Australian ITF HQ each afternoon to update the Sydney headquarters on the day's actions.

For further information:

ITF Co-ordinator Trevor Charles, Sydney tel: (02) 9267 9134, mobile: 0419 413 464; WA ITF inspector Ross Storer, Fremantle: 0418 948105; Queensland ITF inspector Graham Bragg, Townsville: 0419 652 718; Victorian ITF inspector Matt Purcell: 0418 387 966; Media officer Zoe Reynolds, MUA website (Robin Hood and Ships of Shame icons), ITF website http://www.itf.org.uk

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  Issue 41 contents

Interview: A Bob Each Way
ALP tactician Bob McMullan is responsible for charting Labor industry policy into the next millennium. He tells us where he�s heading.

Unions: Organiser of the Year
Just ten days to go before entries close for our $2000 air ticket. Here�s another nomination.

History: Labour Daze
A report from the 6th National Biennial Conference of the Australian Society For The Study Of Labour and Community.

Politics: Tomorrow�s Questions
While the turn of the century sees Sydney play host to the Olympic games, the International Youth Parliament 2000 will bring world focus to contemporary issues facing young people.

Health: Red Ribbons
December 1, World AIDS Day has a special place in the history of the AIDS pandemic.

International: Organised Chaos
Persistent rumours are floating around Jakarta that the former boss of the official pro-Soeharto Indonesian trade union movement is about to be charged with corruption.

Economics: Seattle Numbers Grow for WTO Protest
News of the agreement to smooth China�s entry to the World Trade Organisation has created its own "China Syndrome" for organisers of the Seattle WTO event.

Satire: Too Many Media Players!
The Productivity Commission has issued a report calling for the abolition of existing cross-media ownership laws.

Review: Leviathan
John Birmingham has lifted the lid on Sydney�s shady past - and found trade unions to be at the centre of the sordid tales.

Deface a Face: Reith Loses His Shine
With his Second Wave looking more like a splash in the bath-tub, Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith still reigns as the union movement�s favourite bogeyman.

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» Democrats Poised to Say No

» Olympic Job Cut Fears

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» Grave Concerns About Body Bags

» Former Trades Hall Boss Into Teachers Fray

» Tools for Timor Plea

» Rio Tinto Sacks 84 for Christmas Eve

» Hotel Workers in Unprecedented Action

» Tug Action Hits Sydney Harbour

» Free National Parks Access as Bans Kick In

» Parkers Issue Ticket To Loitering Government

» Stop Forced Repatriation of Burmese Migrant Workers

» Will the Real Casual Workers Please Stand Up?

» STOP PRESS: Labor Wins NZ Election