Seafarers working on foreign-registered freight ships in Australian waters face regular theft of wages and other entitlements due to legal loopholes and lax enforcement of labour standards, according to a new report by the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work.
Key findings:
- In close to 5,000 inspections in Australian ports over the last decade, the ITF found 70% of ships failing to meet minimum international wage and labour standards — with resulting recovery orders totalling $38 million
- The ITF team can inspect only about 2.5% of all foreign vessel visits; estimated total wage theft across the industry is approximately $65 million per year
- Seafarers on foreign-registered vessels (often flying ‘flags of convenience’) usually come from low-wage developing countries and have little power to resist exploitation
“Australia prides itself on being a country that respects the rule of law, and a fair go for workers. Yet we are allowing some of the most vulnerable workers in the entire global economy to be ruthlessly exploited, right here in our own waters,” said Rod Pickette, co-author of the report.