Published: 18 Apr 2010
More evidence highlights need for urgent measures to revitalise Australian shipping
Confirmation that a Filipino seafarer has been in isolation in Wollongong hospital with a suspected case of Hansens disease (leprosy) for two weeks should set alarm bells ringing about the danger to health and safety of largely uncontrolled flag of convenience (FOC) ships.
The crew member, left the Greek flagged Agios
Nikolas and entered the hospital on April 3 and on at 1pm on the
same day the ship reportedly sailed with a load of coal for the
Japanese port of Fukuyama.
"There are obviously concerns for the health of the crew member here
but it's the lack of timely reporting of this case and possible
contagion to Australian and indeed Pacific and Japanese waterfront
workers that is so alarming here", said Warren Smith Assistant National
Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA).
"If this had been an Australian ship there is no question that this
incident would have been reported immediately to port and maritime
authorities. It is yet more evidence for the Government to act on a
suite of reforms it is currently considering that will revitalise
Australian shipping", he said.
Garry Keane, the MUA's branch secretary, southern NSW, says he only
found out through inquiries with the NSW Department of Health late
this week that the seafarer has indeed been in hospital with
suspected TB and leprosy since April 3.
"During this gap of nearly two weeks no one in the maritime industry
regulatory or vessel/port management bodies or the Maritime Union
had been notified of a vessel with crew potentially carrying a
contagious disease, which sailed for Japan the same day the seafarer
went to hospital. The crew of the ship and Japanese authorities had,
unbelievably, also not been informed", said Keane.
"The reporting procedure in this case has been nothing short of
disgraceful. Since April 3 the FOC vessel would have had time to
call into several other Australian or Pacific ports and has probably
already hit port in Japan with the potential to infect numerous
waterside workers.
Those who could have been exposed include a range of people -
Customs, Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) inspectors,
maritime pilots or anyone else from the industry that attends the
ship along the way, with the flow on effect to family and friends.
The South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service says that
after the preliminary tests they are waiting on confirmation of the
suspected leprosy from clinicians.
"The MUA will send a summary of its concerns on the way this matter
was - or at least wasn't reported - to industry bodies, requesting a
meeting to be convened by the NSW Ports Minister. It would be
attended by representatives of the newly- formed Ports Committee,
Port Kembla Ports Corporation management, AMSA, AQUIS, Customs, NSW
Health Department representatives", said Keane.
The Maritime Union has also informed the CFMEU workers that man the
coal loader.
"These are foreign workplaces within Australian waters that we have
little or no control over. This ship was registered in Greece and
was taking coal to Japan but many of these Flag of Convenience
vessels, registered in tax havens like Panama and Liberia, travel up
and down our coasts. They often pay their crews below International
Transport Worker's Federation minimum rates with a ship earlier this
year paying crew $40 a day", said Smith.
"The package of reforms before Government include changes to
maritime laws and regulation governing coastal shipping that would
see that Australian ships and crews are used in the domestic trades
wherever possible, with only limited permits allowing foreign ships
to operate in the domestic trades in exceptional circumstances.
Foreign ships now carry 99 per cent of our international trade and
30 per cent of our domestic coastal trade.
"The shipping industry is desperate for some critical decisions on
the shipping policy package to commit to the necessary fiscal and
regulatory changes needed to keep Australian shipping afloat", said
Smith.
