Published: 25 Jun 2025
Australian maritime union leaders acknowledge seafarers strategic, social and economic importance on Day of the Seafarer.
The three Australian maritime unions, representing deck crew (MUA), engineers (AIMPE) and officers (AMOU) join together with global labour and maritime organisations in celebrating the Day of the Seafarer 2025, a day to recognise the immense contribution of the world’s seafarers – the essential workers who keep global trade, supply chains, and our island nation afloat.
This year’s Day of the Seafarer comes at a time of escalating global uncertainty. From ongoing conflicts in key maritime corridors, to climate-induced disruptions, and increasing pressure on international shipping, our supply chains are under the greatest pressure seen since the early days of COVID. In this volatile context, the strategic importance of a skilled, resilient, and locally trained maritime workforce has never been more obvious.
Australia, as an island continent with vast coastlines and a heavily import-reliant economy, is uniquely dependent on shipping. Yet, over decades, successive governments have allowed our national fleet to decline to dangerous levels. Fewer than a dozen major Australian-flagged and crewed commercial vessels remain, undermining our capacity to respond to crisis, protect our trade routes, and provide decent jobs for Australian seafarers.
Seafarers are the invisible workforce which underpins all aspects of the global economy. Over 95 per cent of Australia’s trade is transported by sea, and without the people who crew the world’s merchant fleet, the flow of food, fuel, medicine, and manufactured goods would quickly dry up. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of global logistics and the indispensable contribution of seafarers to the Australian way of life.
Today, the lesson remains just as important. To rebuild their resilience, shipping-dependent nations like Australia must invest in sovereign shipping capabilities and secure, reliable supply chains. This must be underpinned by a training pipeline for new entrants to the sector which provides a sustainable labour force for the long term.
"As global tensions ratchet up, now more than ever we need an Australian strategic fleet of locally flagged and crewed ships to ensure the resilience and security of essential supply chains. Investing in domestic shipping not only strengthens our national security, it supports regional development, builds maritime skills, and delivers long-term economic benefits for our communities around the Australian coast. A strategic fleet is more than just an industry development plan, it's an investment towards the Australian Defence Strategy, and a proactive projection of strategic and sovereign capacity throughout our region," said Paddy Crumlin, the MUA National Secretary and a member of the Australian Government's Strategic Fleet Taskforce.
“We also reiterate our demand for stronger labour standards across international shipping. Too many foreign seafarers are working in appalling conditions. They are underpaid, mistreated, and isolated from their families and communities for months on end. Flag of Convenience vessels and exploitative crewing arrangements undermine seafarers’ safety, rob them of their wages, and imprison them aboard their ships. Seafarers deserve dignity at work, a safe workplace, decent wages, and the right to union representation, no matter where they are from,” said Crumlin. “By lifting the standards for seafarers on these international ships we also close the cost gap and make Australian crewed vessels commercially attractive,” he added.
The maritime unions commend the work of the International Transport Workers Federation’s Australian Inspectorate for the immense success of their recent Week of Action in Queensland Ports, where more than $2.5 million in unpaid wages were recovered and numerous contraventions of basic living standards were identified and rectified aboard the ships which visited Queensland during the last seven days.
AIMPE Federal Secretary Martin Byrne congratulated the ITF for its actions in assisting seafarers around the world who have been shot at, kidnapped or unfairly detained, amongst myriad other workplace and human rights abuses faced by this uniquely vulnerable workforce.
AIMPE has repeatedly called on the Federal Government to amend the law to ensure vessels which are continuously operating in Australian waters must be registered here and accept Australian laws.
Today is a day to recognise the commitment, contribution and sacrifice of all seafarers in one of the toughest industries. Without them, our lives would be immeasurably diminished. The three unions stand ready to work with government, industry, and the broader labour movement to ensure that seafarers are valued, respected, and empowered.
ENDS
