Ship Shape

from the National Officers' Report

TIMOR LABOUR GAP

Companies operating in the Joint Petroleum Development Area off East Timor are avoiding union labour and favouring crews from countries outside Timor and Australia, National Secretary Paddy Crumlin reports.

Five vessels now operate in the Timorese waters, none of which employ any Timorese or Australians. They are crewed by Indonesians, Filipinos, Pacific Islanders, even Ukranians, with a handful of Timorese trainees on the construction barge as a token gesture.

ACTU President Sharon Burrow and Doleman met with Timor's Chief Minister Mari Alkatiri in January, to outline the union proposal for Australians and Timorese to share the work.

Under the previous agreement with Indonesia jobs were filled solely with seafarers from Australia and Indonesia.

Doleman also joined WA Branch Deputy Secretary Wally Pritchard and CFMEU President John Maitland at a seminar in Dili.

The seminar aimed to develop a closer working relationship between both countries with a call for Australian unionised workers to fill most of the offshore jobs in the short term with the Timorese being trained to fill 90 per cent of positions in the long term - reflecting the 90 per cent Timorese ownership of the field.

But Phillips Petroleum, the company developing the site, is going to great lengths to keep the unions out.

"Any contact we have made with their contractors McDermotts has been met with deadly silence," said Doleman. "Calls are referred to Phillips who simply say they don't wish to speak to unions."

Meanwhile, the National Secretary has written to the International Transport Workers' Federation seeking funding for an organiser to help the Timorese unions especially in the maritime and hydrocarbon fields. An MUA rank and filer has been recommended.

NEW RECRUIT TO GULF WAR

THE MUA is sending a fresh recruit to take the place of veteran battler Bluey Roberts on the frontline of the ITF campaign to unionise hydrocarbon and offshore workers in the Gulf of Mexico.

"Joe Deakin from Sydney is a long time MUA member from the offshore industry," said Assistant National Secretary Mick Doleman. "We know he'll be just right for the job."

The ITF campaign is being challenged by local operator Trico in the US courts while the battle continues on the ground. A special taskforce of unionists from Offshore Mariners' United are pitched against a contingent of industrial mercenaries for control of the offshore industry.

Global action is also under way as unions in Norway and Brazil moving against local operations in a bid to have Trico recognise labour rights and return to the negotiating table.

Trico employ union labour under collective agreements in both countries, but not in the Gulf.

The aim of the ITF Gulf campaign is to recruit an estimated 15,000 offshore workers, many of whom have been forced to labour 20 hours without a break for less than $US5.35 an hour, without life saving equipment and in breach of safety and environmental laws. Crew sizes are as small as three seafarers to a vessel compared to nine in Australia and OECD countries.

Offshore workers complain they are forced to breach local laws and empty oily bilge water into the oceans. Those complaining face the sack.

Working conditions are unstable and seafarers are forced to use most of their pay on airfares to the job. Others are reported to drive long distances all night on short notice. Anyone complaining or calling for union support is intimidated.

As a result, the offshore industry has earned the dubious title of the third most dangerous occupation in the US.

Reports of union activists being followed, photographed and threatened abound.

The job of union organiser is even more dangerous. Bluey tells of one local organiser who got his marching orders while door knocking. The bloke who answered the door told him to "wait there" before disappearing into the house. Moments later he was back with a bit of paper which he shoved under his nose. It read: "All organisers will be shot, those that survive will be shot and shot again. F... off."

Tidewater Marine, an employer of Australian MUA seafarers, is one company which has advertised itself as a non union corporation in the Gulf. It warned its employees in writing that it is not in their 'best interest' to join up. If approached by a union rep, workers are warned to report to their supervisor.

The ITF Offshore Taskforce considers a successful outcome in the Gulf of Mexico as vital in protecting international offshore mariners' conditions against unfair comparisons to non-union operations in Asia and the Gulf of Mexico.

It has also appointed MUA Assistant National Secretary Mick Doleman as Vice Chairman of the ITF Offshore Taskforce. This is a recognition of the role played by the MUA in helping our international comrades in the offshore oil and gas industry.

TT LINE'S NEW SHIPS

The Spirit of Tasmania is to be replaced with two new super-fast cruise ships currently operating between Italy and Greece -- a move welcomed by the union.

Both Finnish made vessels operate at 28.5 knots, reducing the Bass Strait crossing to nine hours.

TT line management has already met with MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin and National Presiding Officer John Higgins with the promise that all permanent MUA members would maintain a job with the line.

Members have elected delegates from all sections of the Spirit to work with officials on the new EBA for the mono hull vessels.

The union will meet with management on April 18 to discuss crewing and other matters.

The new vessels, expected to be operating by September, have only half the berths each of the Spirit.

But the move has been the final nail in the coffin of Tasmanian catamaran builder, with his company facing financial problems.

Meanwhile, MUA membership continues to grow with the union recruiting TT Line shore based staff in Tasmania.

Branch Secretary Mick Wickham reports that the union now covers 60 per cent of membership in administration and reservations, both permanent and casuals.

LINE SERVICES

The MUA has rejected proposals by Adsteam to cut wages and conditions of MUA members employed by their Lines Services in Newcastle, Port Jackson, Port Botany and Port Kembla.

But the union has agreed to address a reported $1.5 million deficit. This will include redundancies and minor adjustments to the rosters.

ALSOC EBA

ALSOC has recruited 12 Australian seafarer trainees for their offshore tanker fleet. And the union was invited to participate in the selection process with Chief IR Vince Allport reporting the future members are of a very high calibre.

Meanwhile, the MUA's Sean Chaffer reports that shipboard meetings on the Northwest Stormpetrel and the Northwest Snipe resoundingly endorsed the new enterprise agreement.

Productivity Commission

Maritime unions have called on the Productivity Commission to guarantee workers' wages and conditions during competing tenders.

Assistant National Secretary Mick Doleman, who attended the meetings reports that the three unions were invited to submit papers to the Productivity Commissions inquiry into Adsteam's 23 per cent hike in towage charges.

The union submission stresses that belligerent competition policy only encourages port authorities to look for the cheapest services rather than the best. And as vessels and equipment are much the same price, wages and conditions are sacrificed in the bid to win a contract.

ITF RATINGS TASKFORCE

The taskforce of the International Transport Workers Federation met in London in the new year to develop policies that tip the scales more favourably towards ratings from First World nations.

Mick Doleman represented Australia with other delegates coming from Sweden, Japan, the US, Denmark, Greece, Norway and New Zealand.

"A graphic illustration of the demise of ratings from the First World is the P&O Nedlloyd's recent removal of the last British seafarers working the deep sea British merchant fleet," said Doleman.

"In May last year we determined that serious policy needed to be fast tracked as the decline of ratings' employment was becoming desperate. I was given the job of drafting the policy paper."

Doleman's paper, which was adopted by the ratings committee, includes a policy of seeking bilateral agreements, maintaining cabotage laws, and soliciting support from labour supply countries such as the Philippines, to return jobs to the country of origin.

TEEKAY EBA

A 12 per cent wage increase, $2,500 payment for medical insurance, a minimum one trainee for every two ships, the ACTU delegates charter, a training committee and retention of current leave and swing patterns -- these are the key achievements of the new EBA covering Teekay's bulk fleet.

A majority of members endorsed the agreement negotiated by Southern NSW Branch Secretary Mark Armstrong, Central NSW Assistant Branch Secretary Sean Chaffer and National Legal Officer Joanne White in December.