'Unlawful': Vessel charged workers to join ship

A Chinese-owned vessel docked at Gladstone's Auckland Point Wharf has been accused of "gross misconduct" by the Maritime Union of Australia.

MISTREATMENT: Mandarin Fortune docked at the Auckland Point Wharf in Gladstone. Picture: Tegan Annett

REVELATIONS an international vessel forced crew members to pay $1500 to receive employment has increased concerns over "unlawful" practices within the international seafarer industry.

The Chinese-owned Mandarin Fortune, which docked at Gladstone's Auckland Point Wharf this week, is accused of "gross misconduct" by the Maritime Union of Australia.

MUA Queensland branch secretary Bob Carnegie said crew were forced to pay $1500 to work on the vessel for nine months, with a monthly salary of $300.

He said their suspicions for unlawful behaviour on board were raised when the captain refused entry to an International Transport Federation inspector in Gladstone.

"It's unlawful," Mr Carnegie said.

"We will not stand idly by and allow companies to deny ITF inspectors their rightful place to walk up a gangway of a foreign vessel to see if crews are being paid as per their certified agreement states.

In a statement to The Observer an AMSA spokesperson said one of its inspectors boarded the Singapore-flagged bulk carrier on Monday for a routine check.

They found while payment of wages was compliant, the crew had not received statements.

They also found two crew members paid a fee to a manning agent to join the ship.

The spokesperson said the claim was investigated and the fees were repaid to the crew members. AMSA will conduct another inspection of the ship before it departs to confirm the crew received their statements.

Mr Carnegie said it highlighted a broader problem plaguing the international seafarer industry, of low wages and poor conditions making it impossible for Aussie ships to compete on costs.

"Workers are getting paid less than $3 per hour on these ships," he said.

"They come in, take goods out of this country and give us nothing except leaving a pile of exploitation in its wake."

AMSA has intervened with at least two international bulk carriers in Gladstone so far this year.

In July AMSA banned the Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier MV Shandong Hai Wang for 12 months after it was discovered crew had been deliberately underpaid by $56,000.

In February chemical tanker Timtomara was detained due to allegations of underpayment and poor working conditions.

Its chief was later removed from the vessel.

The Observer reached out to the owner of Mandarin Fortune for comment but did not receive a response by deadline.

Originally published as 'Unlawful': Vessel charged workers to join ship