Fed: Job fears as Aussie crew sacked for cheaper foreigners

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Fed: Job fears as Aussie crew sacked for cheaper foreigners

By Jane Williams, Industrial Correspondent

MELBOURNE, April 26 AAP - Unions fear Australian maritime jobs are at risk after acourt backed a shipping line's moves to replace a local crew with lower-paid foreign workers.

Outraged maritime unions say the CSL line has taken the "ship of shame" tag to a newlow by blatantly sacking the Australian crew on the cargo ship, CSL Yarra, and bringingin non-unionised overseas workers to continue working exclusively between Australian ports.

CSL Australia Pty Ltd maintains it is creating an internationally competitive shipping line.

Federal Court judge Justice Catherine Branson today accepted the shipping line's evidence.

She found that while the cost and union-affiliations of the crew were an issue, theywere not the overriding considerations and the company had not breached any contract orAustralian workplace relations legislation.

"The relevant operative reason, for CSL Australia ... was the need to be able to utilisethe vessel in a cost effective way, not only on the Australian coast but elsewhere," JusticeBranson said.

Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) organiser Mick Doleman said unions were taking actionto appeal the finding.

Mr Doleman said the MUA believed the crew of 40 was sacked because of it workers' unionlinks and higher award wages.

"Other ships have left Australia and been replaced with ships of convenience, withforeign crew on international routes which carry some domestic freight," Mr Doleman said.

"This is not the case here. Here, there is an Australian vessel exclusively tradingbetween ports on the Australian coast.

"This sets an example for other Australian freight carriers."

The CSL Yarra was one of many Australian vessels bought by foreign owners after thefederal government sold off the national shipping carrier, ANL, in the mid-1990s.

Last December, CSL Australia announced its intentions to reregister the vessel in theBahamas and replace the crew with Ukrainian workers.

The CSL Yarra's sister ship, CSL Pacific, is involved in an Australian Industrial RelationsCommission (AIRC) test case initiated by the ACTU last month.

The ACTU is seeking a ruling to force foreign-owned ships operating between Australianports to pay crews Australian award wages.

The federal industrial relations department is expected to give evidence, saying Australiadid not have the jurisdiction to interfere.

CSL Australia Pty Ltd could not be contacted.

AAP jmw/gfr/mg/de

KEYWORD: SHIPS