Sea Wars

Date: 01 April 2002

Maritime unions in court battle with shipowner

The battle to save Australia's shipping fleet is back in the Federal Court tomorrow as maritime unions fight it out with CSL Australia over their plans to reflag the Australian bulk carrier CSL Yarra in the Bahamas and bring the vessel back on the coastal trade with guest workers labouring under Third World conditions.

Where: Federal Court, Phillip St, Sydney
When: 10.15am

Subject to dispute since the Canadian company announced they would sell the vessel to their Asian arm in December last year, the Yarra would go the same way as her sister ship the Torrens, now trading on the Australian coast as the Bahamas flagged and Ukranian crewed CSL Pacific.

CSL flagged its intention to keep the Yarra on the Australian coast shipping cement between Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane with a foreign crew when they announced the Australian crew would be made redundant in Melbourne in December last year. Both the Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers and the MUA won a temporary stay of the sale in the Federal Court on December 21, until the matter could be heard this week.

Alongside the Federal Court action, the maritime unions have also taken action against CSL in the Commission to have the Ukranian crew on board the Pacific brought under the Australian award while it is working our coast. True to his announcement at the HR Nichols Society meeting in Melbourne on March 22, Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott intervened in the proceedings last week.

The maritime unions are concerned that if CSL is successful, other shipowners trading on the coast will follow its example, replacing Australian workers with guest workers labouring under Third World conditions. This is not just a threat to hundreds of Australian jobs, it is also a threat to coastal protection and the marine environment.
The hearings are expected to run all week.

CONTACTS: MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin 9267 9134 or mobile 0418 379 660
SA Branch Secretary Rick Newlyn 0418 841 378

For further information

Contact:	Zoe Reynolds
Union:	Maritime Union of Australia
Phone:	0417 229873
WWW:	http://www.mua.org.au

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