Spy Scandal

MUA lodges formal complaint

The MUA has lodged a formal complaint with the Inspector General of Intelligence and Security over reports that the government spied on union communications with the Tampa crew last August.

The move comes as more and more evidence emerges that the government espionage was outside the national guidelines, a serious breach of privacy and an intrusion on legitimate union business.

"The government has not been able to justify these outrageous acts," said National Secretary Paddy Crumlin. 'Senator Hill's statement raises more questions than it answers. He claims we were not targetted but this does not rule out we were spied on nevertheless."

Crumlin has also dismissed statements made by the Minister for Workplace Relations Tony Abbott questioning the unions' right to contact the ship.

"All MUA/ITF correspondence with the Tampa was in support and concern for the crew," said Crumlin. "We believed the ship's master was only upholding maritime tradition and international law in rescuing people at sea and we told him so."

All crew members on board the Tampa were affiliated to the ITF. Crumlin is an ITF executive board member and the MUA is an affiliate union.

"We need to clear up whether this latest controversy is part of the ongoing government conspiracy against the MUA," said Crumlin.

'The High Court established we had a a case back in 1998. And since their unsuccessful attempt to remove the Maritime Union members from the waterfront the government has targetted our seafaring members, replacing more than 20 per cent of the Australian domestic fleet and crew with foreign shipping, registered in tax havens, employing third world labour. We have a right to know whether or not these latest allegations are linked to an overall government conspiracy against this union."

Meanwhile, the man at the helm of the Tampa, Captain Arne Rinnan, has been knighted by the King of Norway, anointed newsmaker of the year by Lloyds List and presented with human rights award for his courageous rescue of asylum seekers on the high seas.