3 years ago
AUSTRALIAN SEAFARERS LEFT BEHIND
CATHERINE KING MP
Australian seafarers have again been left behind with the Morrison Government failing to join 45 other nations – including France, UK, USA, Germany and New Zealand – in designating seafarers as key workers.
As a maritime trading nation, Australia is reliant on shipping to import food, medicines and other essential goods to our nation and to deliver our exports to the rest of the world.
Figures released last month estimate that globally there are 400,000 seafarers stranded on ships beyond the end of their original contracts and, due to COVID-related travel restrictions, unable to be repatriated.
Some of these workers have been on ships, unable to return to their families, for over 18 months.
It is essential that exhausted workers are provided support to return home after the expiration of their contracts and replacements sent to their ships. Failure to do so not only impacts on those workers stranded but increases dangers for everyone working in Australian waters or at Australian ports.
Seafarers should immediately be designated essential workers and a cross-government taskforce must be established to address serious issues across the sector.
Labor has been calling for a national approach to seafarers since April last year – it is well past time the Morrison Government acted.
Seafarers are essential to Australia, but the Morrison Government has repeatedly failed to give them the protections they need.
As a maritime trading nation, Australia is reliant on shipping to import food, medicines and other essential goods to our nation and to deliver our exports to the rest of the world.
Figures released last month estimate that globally there are 400,000 seafarers stranded on ships beyond the end of their original contracts and, due to COVID-related travel restrictions, unable to be repatriated.
Some of these workers have been on ships, unable to return to their families, for over 18 months.
It is essential that exhausted workers are provided support to return home after the expiration of their contracts and replacements sent to their ships. Failure to do so not only impacts on those workers stranded but increases dangers for everyone working in Australian waters or at Australian ports.
Seafarers should immediately be designated essential workers and a cross-government taskforce must be established to address serious issues across the sector.
Labor has been calling for a national approach to seafarers since April last year – it is well past time the Morrison Government acted.
Seafarers are essential to Australia, but the Morrison Government has repeatedly failed to give them the protections they need.