Ship firms urge foreign pay U-turn

Ship owners are urging the Abbott government to repeal Labor's extension of its workplace laws to foreign seafarers when they are carrying cargo between Australian ports.
The Australian revealed yesterday that Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss would ease the system for applying for temporary licences to use foreign-flag vessels and wanted a review of coastal shipping, including to look at Labor's Coastal Trading Act.
The Australian Shipowners Association was yesterday seeking a meeting with Mr Truss to raise its concerns about measures introduced by Labor which mean crew on foreign ships have to be paid local wages when they are carrying cargo between Australian ports. "Australian ships do not become more competitive by making their competitors more expensive," ASA executive director Teresa Lloyd said. "This policy initiative ought to be reversed."
The group wants other changes, including dumping a requirement to apply for temporary licences for the foreign-manned ships in blocks of five -- an area Mr Truss identified for reform. Inco Ships managing director Andrew Dally said it was not easy to calculate what foreign seafarers were owed and, for overseas operators, there could be a temptation to refer the matter back overseas where there was no routine check that payment had been made.
"The less scrupulous operators either don't pay the higher wages or do so whilst the vessel is in Australia and then pause the seafarers' pay once the vessel departs Australia until its back to the seafarers normal pay rate."
Maritime Union of Australia national secretary Paddy Crumlin said Labor's coastal shipping law had "obvious national benefits" and the union wanted a "balanced stakeholder consultation".
Source: The Australian