Ocean war and peace

Police escorted an irate MUA State Secretary Mick Wickham off the Ocean Peace in Burnie on May Day after the captain refused to co-operate with the union inspection of the Korean-flagged vessel.

The union believes the 16 seafarers aboard were living without proper food, sanitation, accommodation or pay.

"Living conditions on board were appalling," said Mick Wickham. "There were no working toilets or hot water in the galley or the showers, while half of the showers on-board were inoperative.

"We have some concerns that they're not being paid their wages, and if they are getting paid at all, that they're getting paid anywhere near the right amount," he told the Burnie Advocate.

The ship refused to hand over anything to do with wages records or contracts of employment.

Although some repairs were made to bring amenities up to scratch before the vessel set sail, the Ocean Peace went into virtual lockdown when it arrived in Geelong. An independent surveyor would not permit it to load logs after declaring the ship's four cranes unworkable.

"They did not have the proper certificates," said ITF inspector Matt Purcell.

The Australian inspectorate of the ITF said the 26,600-dwt vessel built in 1985 had a list of outstanding safety issues "as long as your arm".

Vessel owners, Sunwoo Merchant Marine of Seoul, tried to carry out repairs to the cranes.

The Geelong Advertiser reported a potential disaster was narrowly averted after stanchions holding hundreds of tonnes of logs gave way during loading. And when the Ocean Peace did sail, the vessel was forced to limp back into port with cargo askew for further repairs.