Industrial Rounds

Coalitions capitulation, Jobs for Timorese, Floating protest, Botany Victory, Diver delegate sacked

Coalition capitulation

CANBERRA 19/3/08: Unions welcomed the ban on new Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) as an important first step in restoring the rights of Australian workers that were taken away by the former Liberal Government's WorkChoices IR laws.

The new law follows the complete capitulation of the Coalition on industrial relations in parliament on February 20 - for the most part the outcome of the successful union campaign run over two years.

"MUA members can be proud of fighting from the front in campaigns in firstly protecting their jobs and working conditions on the wharves and ships and secondly in seeing out the Howard government and the remnants of the conservatives' anti-union legislation," said MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin.

The national secretary was in Canberra attending the press club where Transport Minister Anthony Albanese again recognised the important role Australian coastal shipping plays in the transport chain.

"Our members were at the forefront of the struggle against the government's IR regime," said Paddy Crumlin. "The Maritime Union was first on their hit list. They sent thugs and dogs to throw our people out of their workplace 10 years back and they set out to systematically replace Australian seafarers on our coast, a long time before the WorkChoices legislation sought similar outcomes in workplaces throughout the nation. We can be proud of our contribution to the removal of AWAs."

ACTU Secretary Sharan Burrow said it was only appropriate to mark the great achievements union supporters have made. "We helped create history on November 24. And the events of this week show our capacity to shape Australia's future is immense."

Jobs for Timorese

DILI, TIMOR LESTE: The Timorese Government has adopted a union proposal that multinationals tendering for projects in the offshore oil and gas industry provide jobs and training for Timorese nationals.

Maritime Union Assistant National Secretary Mick Doleman and National Organiser Mick Killick represented the MUA at the Maritime and Transport Union of East Timor (UMTTL) 5th Anniversary in Dili in February. The International Transport Workers' Federation was also represented alongside unions from Indonesia, New Zealand and Norway.

While in Dili, the MUA and ITF met with government figures including Secretary of State for National Resources Alfredo Pirese to ensure government recognition for UMTTL.

The unions proposed a tripartite government, union and employer taskforce to find job and training opportunities for Timorese seafarers and youth in the oil and gas industry - an initiative the minister announced at the UMTTL congress the next day.

Companies will also be required to demonstrate what infrastructure they intend to provide such as ports, pipelines and refineries.

Floating protest

Adelaide: 15/3/08: MUA members and community activists held a floating community protest against Destiny Queen, an unregulated foreign ship attempting a dangerous re-fuel off Semaphore Beach.

Rick Newlyn, MUA Assistant National Secretary said the ship presented huge environmental risks to Adelaide's pristine beaches.

"This ship is loading fuel at sea with no environmental protection plan, no oil spill prevention equipment and no appropriate refuelling facilities," he said.

The MUA says unsafe and dangerous activities like these have been allowed to occur for years due the Howard Government's failure to regulate substandard foreign vessels in Australian waters.

"The shipping review announced earlier this week by Minister Albanese is an opportunity for the Rudd Government to take the lead and stamp out these sorts of practices once and for all," Rick Newlyn said. In a letter to the managers of Destiny Queen Dean Summers wrote: "The ITF is deeply concerned for the welfare of the current crew amidst allegations of underpayment and inconsistencies with ILO conventions, one of which is the freedom of association.

"I have over the past two years made a number of requests for Destiny to provide access for me or one of our inspectors to visit the ship and speak to the crew. On every occasion this has been rejected and the crew remain isolated from their representatives, the International Transport Workers Federation."

International Transport Workers Federation inspector Matt Purcell boarded the vessel to ensure crew welfare and wages were up to scratch, but was denied access.

The Destiny Queen, an Abalone grow out vessel, was crewed and operated by Australians from 2001 to 2004 before they were replaced with cheap foreign labour. It continues to operate in SA waters without the need for appropriate visas and Australian terms and conditions.

The MUA argues the Federal Government should compel ship owners/aquaculture operators to employ Australians on appropriate Australian terms and conditions when operating solely in Australian waters.

The state government should also use its powers to prevent this vessel operating in SA waters.

Botany victory

Port Botany: 11/07: The Maritime Union Sydney Branch joined CFMEU comrades at Port Botany on November 30 to celebrate the reinstatement of sacked CFMEU delegate Barry Hemsworth.

Sydney Branch Secretary Warren Smith led the MUA contingent giving the union delegate a guard of honour back onto the wharves. Barry Hemsworth was sacked over a safety dispute on September 6 2006 after 10 years of employment with Botany Cranes. He refused to accept the sack and picketed the front gate of his crane company for 14 months, also visiting every major building site in Sydney campaigning against Howard's anti-worker laws. But with the fall of the Howard Government, Barry's employer relented and gave him his job back. "This is an outstanding victory for all workers. I thank the CFMEU for all its support and encouragement and the broader labour movement. In unity is strength", Barry said.

Diver delegate sacked

SYDNEY: 3/3/08: MUA divers employed on the construction of a desalination plant at Port Botany walked off the job to protest the sacking of their delegate after he raised safety issues.

Diving Construction Services were also breaching the government code by denying workers the right to be represented by a union in wage negotiations.

The MUA divers said construction was riddled with safety breaches that were putting lives at risk, such as dangerous loads suspended over working divers, unpredictable winch wires on deck in the divers' working area, absence of a safety committee, no workable emergency response plan or evacuation procedure and no recovery mechanism for unconscious divers. Welders and electricians were also required to work in heavy rain. MUA Sydney branch secretary Warren Smith said it was a disgrace that such safety breaches were occurring on a NSW government project.