False Alarm

Filipino crew on board the Maltese flag of convenience vessel Flecha voted to strike in March after the ship's captain refused to negotiate with the International Transport Workers' Federation over pay and conditions, even claiming a terrorist threat to prevent ITF inspectors going on board.

The 23-year-old bulk vessel, owned by Cardiff Marine in Piraeus, Greece and chartered by the Australian Wheat Board, was alongside the grain berth in Wallaroo, SA, for a week during the dispute.

All crew downed tools, saying they were forced to work up to 18-hour days, seven-days-a-week, for only $US300 a month, sleeping in cramped cabins with no running water and living on a diet of rice and noodles. They had no clean water and no access to medical treatment, only one pair of work overalls each and one set of undies.

A spokesman for the Filipino crew, Archera, told the local press: "We are working from six in the morning till midnight and they pay very low money. There was abuse by the officers and the captain, the food is not enough and the water we drink is yellow and dirty. Our situation is very bad here."

Crew also complained they weren't allowed to leave the ship at some ports. They had no recreation facilities, except for one makeshift exercise bike and a weight made from a concrete block.

But when they called on the ITF for help, the Greek master of the ship used an international security alert to raise the gangway and prevent the ITF representatives coming on board.

"This was an outrageous breach of maritime security which recognises the right of access for welfare and labour organisations," said International Transport Workers' Federation National Coordinator Dean Summers. "The ITF is responsible for crew on these ships of shame and demands that the Wheat Board does not charter ships that abuse or exploit workers. At a time when shipowners are raking in record profits they refuse to even supply water, food or medical treatment let alone minimum wages for third world crews."

ITF Australia called on the government to send a clear message to international shipowners visiting Australian ports that manipulation of the security code will not be tolerated.

Dean Summers told the monthly stopwork meeting that ITF volunteers and MUA members Clem Clothier and Ray Nolan were denied access to the ship when the captain unlawfully initiated a security level 2 and raised the gangway on March 19 while alongside.

"This was clearly done in order to hide the abuse of seafarers and to prevent the ITF from investigating complaints about contaminated drinking water, very low wages and substandard food," he said. "All of these accusations were subsequently verified."

Three men were treated in hospital for injuries including a broken bone, while the remaining six locked themselves in their cabins, fearing for their safety.

The federal government has confirmed that the captain, Konstantinos Kalandrakis, prevented the boarding by claiming the delegates posed a terrorist threat.

The port security officer in Wallaroo later told the captain and ship's agent there was no security threat and the officers were forced to allow the officials on board.

Wharfies, linesmen and tug operators in Wallaroo refused to service the vessel, or allow it to leave the port, the MUA citing "serious concerns on a human rights level".

"The captain is refusing to acknowledge his responsibility for these people," said MUA official Jake Field.

Assistant ITF Coordinator Matt Purcell and ITF activist John McGartland, from Port Kembla, travelled to Wallaroo to support the seafarers.

"The Greek owners and the Filipino crewing agency sent representatives to the ship in an attempt to persuade the striking workers to return to work," said Dean Summers. "All nine Filipinos stood fast and with the support of the ITF and the MUA South Australian branch were eventually victorious in winning a very significant dispute."

The crew won $US65,000 in back wages and were repatriated, with their replacement crew protected by a 12 month ITF agreement. The strike ended on March 17 and the Flecha left port three days later bound for the Middle East.

"We think those Filipino guys are extremely brave, they will face some sort of repercussions when they go back home," said Dean Summers.

But the ITF ensured no crew were blacklisted on their return with Matt Purcell reporting that three of the strikers had got work immediately through a reputable crewing agent while the remaining six were taking well earned leave.

The ITF is now calling on the Howard Government to investigate how this could possibly have happened and to identify any flaws in the system. The dispute attracted worldwide attention on the security breaches and pressure is mounting on the government to ensure this can never happen again.

Dean Summers congratulated the South Australian branch and the MUA activists who worked with the ITF to achieve worker rights for visiting seafarers.

"Congratulations also to the courageous Filipino seafarers who risked more than the loss of wages to get what is rightfully theirs," he said. " It stands as a fine example of internationalism and of how effective the FOC campaign can be."