Stolt crew proclaim

The MUA crew of the Stolt Australia issued the following statement at a meeting

"We the crew of the Stolt Australia, having considered all the relevant facts and details, are of the view that we need to make a stand regarding the removal of an Australian crew and its replacement with foreign guest labour.

We, after much consideration, have decided that this is a fundamental issue for the future of Australian shipping and Australian workers in general.

We condemn the Howard Government for its wholesale destruction of Australian shipping and for its abuse of the Single Voyage Permit System, which creates serious security and environmental risks to our country, as well as undermining the standard of living of Australian workers by forcing them to compete with cheap Third World labour.

Accordingly, we as the crew of this Australian flagged vessel, have decided that we must take a stand against the massive injustices that the Howard Government has inflicted upon Australian workers."