ITF Makes Progress Pay Up

They'd been cheated $300,000 in wages, fed on fish heads, intimidated and stood-over. But when three complained they were sacked. They were the crew of the ageing Greek owned, Cypriot flag of convenience vessel ANL Progress and they were in the Port of Melbourne where round two of a battle between the ITF and the shipowner got under way on February 26.

Round one was fought out and won by the ITF in the New Zealand courts before the ship sailed for Melbourne. That was a court order preventing the company sacking three Filipino seafarers who complained about pay and conditions. Now the ITF was out to get the crew the wages they were owed. And that?s just what they did.

While details of the settlement remain confidential, the ITF Australia are satisfied that the crew received justice.

They were repatriated home mid March.

The ANL Progress operates solely on the trans Tasman trade and was the target for ITF action for six weeks.

This included a well-coordinated campaign between ITF Australia and ITF New Zealand and at one stage saw a media conference held at the bottom of the gangway while the ship was inspected by Senator Cooney at the Appleton docks in Melbourne.

ANL Progress was held up as a good example of the type of cheap, substandard, cut-rate ship the Australian Government and Australian freight forwarders want on our coast and in our domestic transport industry - ships of shame that are sinking environmentally friendly, quality Australian flagged and crewed vessels.

It was a protracted struggle but with the help of MUA members in Melbourne and Sydney the Greek shipowner finally came to the party. By the time the Progress returned to New Zealand, ITF inspectors Dean Summers and Kathy Whelan had successfully won compensation and repatriation for crew members who had come to them for help.

Dean Summers congratulated all involved in this hard earned victory saying that a well coordinated strategy between all Australian and New Zealand ports made it impossible for the ship owners to find any respite.

The ANL Progress is just one of the more than 9000 cases of robbery and skull duggery on the high seas the ITF deals with worldwide each year.