CATHERINE KING & CAROL BROWN – MEDIA RELEASE – TASKFORCE NEEDED TO ADDRESS CREW CHANGE CRISIS – THURSDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2020

TASKFORCE NEEDED TO ADDRESS CREW CHANGE CRISIS
  Recent cases of COVID-19 diagnosed on ships around Australia highlights the urgent need for the Morrison Government to form a taskforce to work with industry, states, and other nations to ensure that crew changeovers can occur regularly and safely.

The international shipping community estimates that there are more than 400,000 seafarers trapped on board ships around the world due to COVID restrictions. It is essential that exhausted workers are provided support to return home after the expiration of their contracts and replacements sent to their ships.

Instead of supporting workers by enabling safe and dedicated crew transfers, the Morrison Government is failing to intervene in a system which has seen crews forced to work in excess of 12 months at a time, with some identified as having worked for up to 18 months straight.

In the absence of safe crew change corridors in Australia, foreign shipping operators are diverting to hubs like Manila to change out exhausted seafarers and bring on fresh crew. In cases like the Vega Dream in Port Hedland the crew inadvertently brought the virus on board due to less stringent isolation standards.

Labor supports the UN and IMO protocols to establish “Green Lanes” as the only way to ensure the ongoing integrity of our trade, our economy, and our human rights obligations.

As a maritime trading nation, Australia is reliant on shipping to import essential goods to our nation and to deliver our exports to the rest of the world.

The Morrison Government’s inaction threatens our ports, our community, and the welfare of thousands of international seafarers. 

A cross-government taskforce must immediately be established to address these serious issues.

THURSDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2020