ITF informed of another case of crew underpayment in Australia, involving the 80,000-tonne bulk carrier ‘Villa Deste’ at a BHP terminal in Queensland. Crew aboard the ship contacted the ITF pleading for help, claiming to have no food and no onboard wages, and being fed on a $4 food budget per day.
According to ITF, BHP is continuing to block ITF’s requests to inspect the vessel, currently at anchor at BHP’s Hay Point Coal Terminal in Mackay, north Queensland, which is due to berth tomorrow.
ITF inspectors along with faith-based welfare providers have rights to access ships clearly defined in the international maritime security code and Australia’s national security legislation. BHP claim to have a process for access, but continue to refuse our requests and question our legitimate right of entry,
…said ITF national coordinator Dean Summers.
The Liberian-flagged Villa Deste is owned by a Greek company Evalend Shipping Company S.A. The ITF also inspected another vessel owned by the company, the Penelope L. on 3 July 2018 at the Port of Fremantle and found the same issues, employing seafarers on the lowest conditions possible and supplying decaying food to the crew.
The ITF says it has previously contacted the Department of Home Affairs about BHP’s denial of grant access for ITF inspectors to inspect ships at Hay Point. The Department responded saying “approval to access a port facility is the responsibility of the port facility operator” dismissing the ITF’s concerns.
We call on the Minister to immediately intervene in his Department’s maladministration and facilitate our inspectors access to the Villa Deste to answer the seafarers’ urgent call for help,
…said Summers.
Another case of wage theft onboard a Panamanian-flagged vessel in the Australian Port Kembla was exposed after intervention from the ITF, involving the BlueScope chartered bulk carrier ‘Ken Ei’, in January, which led to $38,384 in coastal wages being paid immediately in cash to the 20 Filipino seafarers crewing the ship.
