MUA celebrates passage of Shipping Reform
Excerpts from the Maritime Union of Australia’s web site:
The Bills represent over 10 years of work by the MUA, especially National Secretary Paddy Crumlin, and follows the endorsed support from members at the recent Seafarers Conference and National MUA Conference.
A delegation of seafaring members joined National Secretary Paddy Crumlin, National Policy Officer Rod Pickette and National Communications Director Darrin Barnett in Canberra to see the Bills pass (pictured).
Mr Crumlin said this was the biggest reform of the Navigation Act in 100 years, and that:
What Australia has effectively done is has shown the way in international shipping, demonstrating that FOC shipping can be defeated and that all seafarers – particularly those from developed countires – have a right to work in the industry.
Cabotage is back on the menu for seafarers worldwide.
The support of the ITF was also critical to the political will to enact these wide-ranging and internationally important reforms, and the ITF is enshrined in this legislation.
As a union, we’ve fended off the campaign by conservative shippers, foreign ship-owners and the federal Opposition to destroy the Act and the industry.
It’s an emotional day. We’ve been working on this since the election of the Howard Government. They destroyed Government support for the Australian shipping industry in their first weeks in office back in 1996.
The union generally and myself personally have been at the forefront of the campaign to ensure that shipping and Australian seafarers have a future in this country.