Timber

It was a danger to life and limb. The Timuru Star limped into Fremantle port in October with a load of logs dishevelled by heavy seas. The stow on deck had broken free of its wire lashing with two tonne logs hanging perilously over the side of the ship. Some already appeared to have gone overboard.

Wharfies on the common user berth called the union as soon as the ship docked and asked the officials to come down and look it over. They didn't think it was safe to work. All the handrails and stanchions were smashed in, there was no safe access to bow of the vessel and logs were hanging over the bow.

The 20,000 tonne Hong Kong-registered Chinese ship made an unscheduled diversion on its way to the United Arab Emirates. The captain took to port after a stormy crossing of the Australian Bight shifted the cargo and the vessel became unstable at sea.

The union alerted the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and inspectors carried out three inspections of the vessel. But they said the ship could sail with extra lashing to make do until it reached Bunbury where its timber cargo could be properly reloaded.

"It's a massive safety hazard," MUA WA branch secretary Chris Cain told the local media. "The vessel won't be leaving until it's fixed."

The union refused to work the ship until it was safe, warning that if it put to sea as was it could loose cargo overboard. For three days the union ensured the ship went nowhere

"It's not just about the safety of our wharfies, its about crew safety and community safety, he said. As far as we're concerned we're not moving that ship in that condition - there's a duty of care to all people involved. If those logs drop into the ocean with the tides no one knows where they're going to be at any particular time ... there are a lot of pleasure craft up and down the coast going fishing, the Rottnest ferries, and a two-tonne log in the ocean is going to sink something. Someone could be killed."

The union got the community and local radio behind them for taking a stand.

"We wanted all logs off restowed and repairs done, before she sailed," said Chris.

Fremantle Ports took the battle to the Industrial Relations Commission.

Fremantle Ports spokeswoman Ainslie De Vos claimed Fremantle did not have the correct equipment to handle the ship's cargo and the ship's owners decided to move it to Bunbury for handling.

The Timaru Star left under police guard on October 15 after a three-day standoff. It arrived in Bunbury the next day where the risky job of unloading and restowing the timber began under heightened alert.

"The vessel should never have left port the way it was," said National Secretary Paddy Crumlin. "We're calling for a full inquiry. We want these AMSA cowboys to stop playing politics with ship safety and workers' lives. AMSA and its directors need to be brought to account. I suppose the ship had to capsize or a wharfie or seafarer be crushed to death to get a decent response out of them. They've become a joke."

Safety Code

National Council adopted the following resolution at its November meeting: That the union support a safe code of working practice for the stevedoring industry. The code should be developed branch by branch and also nationally in conjunction with Worksafe and the ACTU. The National Office will be responsible, together with the branches, to develop the campaign to instigate the new code.