ITF president welcomes Australian shipping reform

News Release International Transport Federation (ITF) June 1, 2012

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ITF president and Maritime Union of
Australia national secretary Paddy Crumlin today welcomed the passing of bills
that secure thefuture of Australian shipping.
 
The Australian government's
landmark ShippingReform Package bills today passed the Australian
Parliament's House ofRepresentatives with a narrow vote of 71 -
69.
 
All of the speakers in favour made
mention of the hard work of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) - its national
secretary Paddy Crumlin and all the members involved.
 
The bills represent over 10 years of
work by the MUA, especially Mr Crumlin, and follows the endorsed support from
members at therecent Seafarers’ Conference and National MUA
Conference.
 
Mr Crumlin said this was the biggest
maritime reform since the passing of the Navigation Act 100 years
ago:
 
"What Australia has done today is
shown the way in international shipping.
 
“The government has demonstrated
that FOC shipping can be defeated and that all seafarers have a right to work in
the industry.
 
"Cabotage is back on the menu for
seafarers worldwide.
 
“These bills not only protect the
national flag on Australia’s coastline – they privilege it.
 
"The support of the ITF was also
critical to the political will to enact these wide-ranging and internationally
important reforms, and the ITF is enshrined in this legislation,” said Mr
Crumlin.
 
The five bills that represent the
legislative package give a zero company tax rate to shipowners as an incentive
to flag their vessels with the Australian flag. This will go towards ensuring
that Australian seafarers have a future in their own country, and that cabotage
is enshrined.
 
“Importantly, the legislation also
provides a model for regional labour cooperation, introducing an Australian
International Shipping Register which is profoundly different to a second
register,” Mr Crumlin continued.
 
"The register will provide for
regional workers from the Pacific and Timor Leste to work on Australian flagged
ships under Australian collective agreements to ITF standards.  The MUA
supports this position.
 
“We now call upon other nations
around the world to look to Australia’s example and work to protect their own
national fleets, cabotage and workers – so that we can do away with flags of
convenience forever.
 
"The Australian reforms
will create employment, sustain business opportunities and productivity and
build the national interest through an industry that has always been and always
will be critical to the quality of Australia's economy, environment and way of
life."
         
              
ITF (International Transport
Workers’ Federation) general secretary David Cockroft commented:
"This breakthrough and the recent decision on reflagging fishing
vessels in New Zealand shows that unions are continuing to prove that, even in a
globalised world, the need is for responsible shipping that has genuine ties to
those who work onships and the wider populations that they serve. To the best of
my knowledgethis is also the first time that ITF minimum standards have been
specifically incorporated into national law.”</DIV></BODY></HTML>