Fijian seafarers occupy boat over wages dispute with Australian company

In a desolate industrial area close to Brisbane’s port, a Cook Island registered tug boat – the Mt Rodds Bay – has been in dry dock since September. For most of this time, nine Fijian seafarers have occupied the vessel over a wages battle with boat owner Pacific Marine and Civil Solutions (PMCS).

Living in limbo for months has taken its toll. Three of the nine crew members returned to Fiji last week. Those who remained have relied for survival on family, friends, their union the Fiji Maritime Workers Association, along with the International Transport workers Federation (ITF), the Brisbane Seafarers’ Mission and the Maritime Union of Australia.

PMCS is a subsidiary of Pacific Building Solutions Group. An Australian owned Fiji based company. It is Fiji’s largest construction company and has expanded into marine transport services in the South Pacific.

This company has a history of bullying its workers, including this crew. It objected when the seafarers joined their union. “The company doesn’t care”, a representative of the crew told Red Flag.

The Mt Rodds Bay left Fiji in May and docked in Brisbane two weeks later. PMCS told the crew that they couldn’t leave the port perimeter. “We were treated like prisoners. If we wanted to go to the shop and buy a phone recharge card, we were escorted by security”, said one of the crew.

During a routine check by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), the crew reported that PMCS had restricted their movements and delayed paying their onshore allowances.

Further checks revealed that their employment contracts didn’t comply with the International Maritime Labour Convention. Some of the crew was receiving only half their entitled wages, none were paid for overtime or holidays and the company had no workers compensation insurance.

After the intervention of AMSA and the ITF, the crew was presented with new contracts containing appropriate conditions. In July, they left Brisbane for Nauru. On their return in September it was reported that there had been no improvement in their conditions. PMCS owes the crew around $50,000 in unpaid wages.

AMSA embargoed the ship for non-payment of wages and the seafarers occupied it. The crew has offered to meet PMCS representatives but the company has refused, instead trying to force the seafarers off the ship.

In late November, it threatened to sack the crew. In early December, the company arranged to have their visas cancelled. A shabby trick discovered only when one of the three crew members returning home was detained at the airport for overstaying his visa.

Negotiations have extended crew members visas to 11 December. They have decided to return to Fiji, but are committed to continuing the struggle until they win.

“If you don’t fight, you lose ’’, said one. “We are not just doing this for ourselves, we are doing it for all workers who are being underpaid and exploited by their bosses.”