Published: 17 Jul 2015
Despite being called out on a rort last week, the managers of the fuel tanker the Stolt Kikyo, have still not paid the more than $60,000 in missing wages owed to the Chinese crew.
As a result of the company’s negligence the Australian Maritime Safety Authority have issued Stolt with a deficiency notice ordering the company to square up the missing pay.
Last week the International Transport Worker’s Federation (ITF) reported that the crew aboard the Liberian-flagged tanker had been underpaid approximately $250,000.
ITF National Coordinator Dean Summers said some of the missing money had been recouped but that the company was still holding back the coastal trading payments that are required aboard ships transporting goods on domestic routes.
“Unfortunately, this unlawful behavior is rife in the international shipping industry because it is largely unregulated.
“This is a ship trading fuel between Australian ports, not dissimilar to a fuel truck transporting petrol between Melbourne and Sydney, but because of legal loopholes and an under-policed environment the company is able to exploit its crew and unscrupulously pay less than $2 an hour.
“If the Abbott Government is able to demolish what little shipping regulation there is left then this kind of bottom-line, bottom-feeding, exploitation will become more commonplace.”
A complaint has been lodged with the Fair Work Ombudsman regarding underpayment of wages.
The ship is due to call into Brisbane tomorrow.
