The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) informed of the launch of a new campaign, “to save Australian shipping.”
As explained, the number of Aussie-flagged vessels has continued to decline, while the country has zero Australian–crewed tankers.
“The only ‘reform’ bill presented to the Parliament by this Government was for total deregulation of coastal shipping, with the Government’s own Regulatory Impact Statement showing 93 per cent of jobs in the sector would be lost,” the unions noted in an official statement.
The campaign was launched on September 5, on the lawns of the Parliament House in Canberra, where MUA rank and file seafarers from The CSL Thevenard, The CSL Melbourne and MV Portland were joined by 4 miners from the Oaky Creek Glencore Dispute and supportive MPs and Senators.
The MUA also launched a new website, named ‘Save Australian Shipping – Take Back Our Coast’, to keep members updated and assist the union with grass roots activism throughout shipping, all the way until the next federal election.
