“I would like to say that it’s a big surprise for me that such big companies, trading around the world with valuable cargoes and vessels, can’t follow the basic MLC requirements and are involved in cases like this one in Gijon, where they’ll incur many more expenses than just paying the crew as they should have done, on time.”
The ITF’s Luz Baz would like to say she’s surprised, but she can’t.
***‘Shocking’ state of ship detained on the Tyne
Published on the 15 November
2013
13:00
Sponsored by
A SHIP called the Donald Duckling has been condemned as “a Mickey Mouse operation” after being detained at the Port of Tyne in South Shields.
Crew members on the Panamanian-registered bulk carrier were so poorly fed they were forced to fish from the vessel and burn loose wood on deck to cook their food, because galley equipment didn’t work.
Some crew with family illnesses were refused permission to return home and the Donald Duckling’s former chief engineer was sacked after requesting spare parts to rectify problems previously identified in state control inspections.
The ship was detained by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) this week after an inspection revealed a long list of safety concerns.
An MCA spokesman said the vessel will not be allowed to leave Port of Tyne until the “mechanical and safety issues” are resolved.
Maritime inspectors say standards on board the Donald Duckling were some of the worst they had ever encountered.
Nautilus International Transport Workers’ Federation inspector Tommy Molloy, who has been helping the 16-strong Filipino and Romanian crew, said: “The ship is called the Donald Duckling and it certainly is a shocking example of a Mickey Mouse operation, that undermines operators who run to decent standards.”
Mr Molloy told the Gazette that standards on board the vessel were “some of the worst” he had ever seen.
“The state of the ship is just shocking. Even with the naked eye, it’s obvious the vessel is rust-coloured and that not a penny has been spent on maintenance for many years.”
The Donald Duckling had already been detained for 121 days earlier this year in Gibraltar, after 21 safety deficiencies were discovered by port state control officers.
Meanwhile in September, another inspection in Las Palmas, Spain, uncovered 33 more safety issues.
Crew members have repeatedly not been paid and were reportedly going hungry for lack of cooking facilities.
Mr Molloy added: “The fact that the vessel has been detained for such periods of time and for the nature and scope of the deficiencies provides clear grounds, in line with the contracts of employment, for the crew to claim repatriation, due to the breach of contract.
“The vessel is clearly not seaworthy, which ought to be of grave concern to the charterers and cargo receivers.”
Owned by TMT Shipping of Taiwan, the Donald Duckling arrived at Port of Tyne to load a cargo of scrap metal bound for Korea.
“It is clear that the crew would have been placed into potential danger had the ship left port for the voyage.
“We are aware that TMT has been having problems, but this does not excuse the outrageous treatment of the crew in this case,” Mr Molloy added.
Mr Molloy has written to the Taiwanese owners, calling for payment of outstanding wages and the repatriation of some crew members due to breach of contract.
A spokesman for the MCA said: “Following an inspection earlier this week, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) issued a detention notice on the vessel Donald Duckling.
“The detention was served for a number of reasons, including mechanical and safety issues.
“This notice, which prevents the vessel from sailing, will remain in place until the necessary improvements are carried out.”
A Port of Tyne spokesman said: “Following a routine inspection, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency requested the owner of the bulk carrier “Donald Duckling” to undertake repair and maintenance.
“To prevent any impact on Port of Tyne operations the ship has been moved to a layby berth.”
The Evening Chronicle, Newcastle
CONDITIONS on a cargo ship named the Donald Duckling are claimed to be so bad it has been branded a ‘Mickey Mouse operation.’ The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, based at the Port of Tyne at South Shields, has detained the Panamanian-registered vessel and say that it is not seaworthy.
Inspectors say that crew members had so little food they were forced to catch fish from the side of the ship.
They then allegedly had to cook it on deck because galley equipment was out of order.
The 16-year-old ship was also detained for 121 days in Gibraltar earlier this year when authorities identified 21 safety concerns.
In September an inspection in Las Palmas also found 33 safety deficiencies onboard.
The ship is owned by TMT Shipping of Taiwan and had arrived at the Port of Tyne to load a cargo of scrap metal.
It was then expected to sail to Korea later this month.
Nautilus International Transport Workers‘ Federation inspector Tommy Molloy is now helping the Romanian and Filipino crew members.
He said the vessel was one of the worst examples of substandard shipping that he has encountered and he has contacted the company responsible for the ship.
Mr Molloy said crew members had allegedly not been paid on time on a number of occasions and formal requests by two seafarers to be repatriated because of family illnesses had allegedly been ignored.
He also said the chief engineer was allegedly dismissed after requesting spare parts to rectify problems identified in the port state control inspections.
Mr Molloy said: “The fact that the vessel has been detained for such periods of time and for the nature and scope of the deficiencies provides clear grounds, in line with their contracts of employment, for the crew to claim repatriation due to breach of contract.
“The vessel is clearly not seaworthy – which ought to be of grave concern to the charterers and cargo receivers.
“It is clear that the crew would have been placed into potential danger had the ship left port for the voyage.”
He has written to the company requesting the payment of wages that are allegedly owed to some staff as well as the repatriation of some of the crew due to an alleged breach of contract.
Mr Molloy said this would be in line with their contractual entitlement.
He also said the onboard contractual documentation for the Romanian and Filipino crew members was allegedly not in compliance with international Maritime Labour Convention requirements. He said: “The ship is called Donald Duckling, and it certainly is a shocking example of a Mickey Mouse operation that undermines operators who run to decent standards.”
FROM THE JOURNAL (UK):
The Journal, Newcastle
ASHIP has been detained in the North East over safety fears.
Conditions aboard the cargo ship – called the Donald Duckling – were so bad it has been branded a ‘Mickey Mouse operation’.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, based at South Shields, has detained the Panamanian-registered vessel amid safety concerns.
It emerged that crew members allegedly had so little food they were forced to catch fish from the side of the ship and cook it on deck because galley equipment was out of order.
The 16-year-old ship was also detained for 121 days in Gibraltar earlier this year when authorities identified 21 safety concerns and in September an inspection in Las Palmas found 33 deficiencies onboard.
The ship is owned by TMT Shipping of Taiwan and had arrived at the Port of Tyne to load a cargo of scrap metal bound for Korea.
Nautilus International Transport Workers‘ Federation inspector Tommy Molloy is helping the Romanian and Filipino crew members. Mr Molloy said crew members had allegedly not been paid on time on a number of occasions and formal requests by two seafarers to be repatriated because of family illnesses had allegedly been ignored.
Mr Molloy said: “The fact that the vessel has been detained for such periods of time and for the nature and scope of the deficiencies provides clear grounds, in line with their contracts of employment, for the crew to claim repatriation due to breach of contract. The vessel is clearly not seaworthy – which ought to be of grave concern to the charterers and cargo receivers.
“It is clear that the crew would have been placed into potential danger had the ship left port.”
Mr Molloy has written to the company with a number of concerns and claimed contracts for the Romanian and Filipino crew members was not in compliance with international labour requirements. He said: “The ship is called Donald Duckling, and it is a shocking example of a Mickey Mouse operation that undermines operators with decent standards.”
class=”MsoNormal”>The iconic Empire State Building was the scene of a strong and vocal protest against Turkish Airlines rights abuses held in New York November 8. The action was in support of 305 Turkish Airlines workers dismissed in 2012 for exercising their right to strike.
IUF affiliates from the New York Hotel Trades Council, union members from IUF- affiliated Unite Here together and the RWDSU/UFCW joined IUF general secretary Ron Oswald and IUF international officer Burcu Ayan to express their anger at the brutal actions of Turkish Airlines.
“Shame on Who?” was loudly answered by protestors “Shame on Turkish Airlines!” as workers and tourists at the Empire State Building heard our message for justice loud and clear. “No Justice, no peace” sent the clear message that IUF members in New York support the global fight for justice for Turkish Airlines workers.
A protest leaflet signed by IUF general secretary Ron Oswald outlining Turkish Airline’s brutality was delivered to the Turkish Airlines office inside the Empire State Building. The company was left in no doubt that the noisy protest outside was directed at them.
Ron Oswald thanked the protestors for this very concrete act of support and solidarity with these words: “Turkish Airlines has again been reminded of the support these brave workers at the airline have from around the world as they continue their long fight for justice. Hotel workers and other affiliates in New York have turned out in numbers to bring that message home in one of the airline’s key markets”. Oswald continued, “On behalf of the IUF, our sister organization the ITF but most importantly Turkish Airlines workers themselves I thank you. As always workers in New York have risen up in support of workers fighting for justice in some other part of the world. That kind of support is inspirational”
The protest, organized by the IUF in support of our sister international union federation the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and its Turkish Airlines members is part of a series of rolling actions around the world. The IUF earlier called on supporters around the world to write to Turkish Airlines and over 8000 supporters did just that in the space of the last week of October.
The struggle for justice goes on in Turkish Airlines and the IUF will stand shoulder to shoulder with the ITF and its members in this company for as long as it takes to win back the fundamental rights that have been so brutally stripped away from its workers.
FROM THE MUA:
http://www.mua.org.au/news-story/3740/
|
| Regional Maritime Federation Delegates |
Delegates from Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea have just returned from a meeting in Port Moresby that was called to pave the way for a formalised Regional Maritime Federation between the Maritime Union of Australia, the Maritime Union of New Zealand and the PNG Martime and Transport Workers’ Union.
International Transport Workers’ Federation President and MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin said the formation of such a federation had been in discussion for a while and the recent meeting had been successful in gaining momentum to ensure the federation would be solidified within a year.
Partnerships between transport trade unions in the Asia-Pacific region were stronger than ever and stood to be reinforced further with the formation of a RMF, Crumlin said.
“What we are seeking to do is form a Regional Maritime Federation with a real structure that is accountable of law, with rules, so we can sit with employers in the region and talk about how to deliver productivity and safety,” he said.
“This is a significant move designed to strengthen the capacity of unions in the transport sector to efficiently and effectively represent the interests of their constituencies as well as bolster the efforts of the union movement in the region.”
MUNZ General Secretary Joe Fleetwood said he looked forward to working in unity with his geographical neighbours.
“Our region will continue to see great growth in commerce across the oceans and our goal is to make sure that the workers who make sure goods move efficiently from nation to nation share in the bounty of economic prosperity,” Fleetwood said.
Meanwhile, PNG MTWU General Secretary Reg McAlister said a federation could help grow trade unionism in PNG where the movement is still in its infancy.
“Working together is what unions are all about and international solidarity can only benefit developing nations such as PNG,” McAlister said.
The three unions agreed the next step in forming the RMF would be to hold an organising conference, which has been scheduled for the first quarter of next year in Auckland, NZ.
Click here to listen to National Secretary Paddy Crumlin’s interview with Radio Australia.
Click here to view photos from the historic meeting.
Click here to read an article featured in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier.
|
| MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin addresses the meeting. |
Issued below is a statement following the first Regional Maritime Federation meeting held in Port Moresby on November 12, 2013:
The Executive Committees of the Papua New Guinea Maritime Transport Workers Union, the Maritime Union of New Zealand and the Maritime Union of Australia recognise that the first meeting held in Port Moresby on November 13, 2013 is a historic step in the regional trade union development, with the stated objective of the parties to develop formal structures and rules for the establishment of a Regional Maritime Federation.
The parties are all long term affiliates of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the development of the Regional Maritime Federation fits squarely into the vision of the ITF in promoting regional development through the building of trade union capacity to assist the working men and women achieve better and more decent working lives.
The meeting noted that the long history of cooperation and joint activity between the three unions including assistance given to establish the PNG MTWU in 1972 and the history of the Seamen’s Union of Australasia up to the 1940s.
The three unions have cooperated in campaigns around Flag of Convenience (FOC), dockers’ rights and other industrial, social, political and legal rights for many years.
The meeting, in particular, recognises and thanks the Australian Marine Officers Union and Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union for their attendance at this important and historic meeting, recognising the importance of building regional solidarity between all unions.
Currently the work undertaken thus far with the support of the ITF, MUA, CFMEU, Transport Workers Union and Australian Manufacturing Workers Union has seen a surge in union membership for the PNG MTWU and other PNG unions, along with the work that is being carried out in the fisheries sector.
The meeting identified and agreed there are enormous opportunities in our region for maritime and transport workers, particularly in the resource sector. The Regional Maritime Federation will work with other unions in our region to assist in creating employment opportunities and decent working conditions for the region’s maritime transport and other workers to ensure the wealth from these projects also recognise the rights of the national population as resource owners and the national workforce.
This work, enhanced with the support of our alliance with unions in Australia with the International Trade Union Confederation and the other global union federations, particularly IndustriALL, UNI, International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Association.
With the development of the Regional Maritime Federation, the member unions will continue to work with other regional unions to seek opportunities for membership of the federation in the future and to extend and consolidate organising projects in PNG and other regional areas. We particularly appreciate the strong support from the PNG Trade Union Council Australian Council of Trade Unions and New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and their affiliates for these solidarity projects and organising campaigns.
To commence the work of the regional maritime federation the parties agreed to an organising conference to be held in Auckland, NZ in the first quarter of 2014, with a view of promoting the federation to their membership under an agreed structure next year.