Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 6:48:32 to 6:52:27
Review of the Coastal Trading Act exemptions for cruise ships and new criteria for owners.
Topics: Infrastructure, Workplace relations
Speakers: Senator Barbara Pocock, Megan Scott, Unknown Speaker, Paula Stagg
>> Thank you. Um I've got a target. Uh my questions are in relation to the Coastal Trading Act and Carnival Uh on December 31st, 2006, the existing cruise ship exemption from the Coastal Trading Act will expire. On October the 2nd this year, Minister Katherine King announced that the cruise ship exemption from the Coastal Trading Act would be extended for a further two years and that quote commencing on 1 January 2027, the exemption will require that vessel owners policies and seafarer work agreements do not restrict the ability of seafares to engage in collective bargaining. On June 30th this year, the Maritime Union of Australia submitted a formal complaint to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, AMSA, on behalf of crew on all three Carnival ships homeported in Australia, who had signed a petition calling on Carnival to engage in collective bargaining for these vessels, which Carnival is still to this day refusing to do. Does the department recognize that a petition is a legitimate demonstration that there is crew there who wish to commence negotiations?
>> Thank you, Senator. Uh Megan Scott, Assistant Secretary, Maritime and Shipping Branch. Uh we do know that that um petition was submitted to um AMSA following uh a number of inspections that they had made of those vessels and that is uh the right of those workers uh to sign and submit such a petition.
>> You recognize that it is a demonstration that they wish to commence negotiations.
>> It's a legitimate pathway that they have to raise concerns with their employers.
>> Does the department recognize that Carnival is refusing to commence negotiations against the wishes of the crew who signed that petition?
>> We understand that that is the allegation. Senator,
>> I'm asking you whether you recognize it. I know that's an allegation. I know the difference between an allegation uh Miss Scott and uh a reality. I'm asking you, do you recognize uh that they are
those discussions that uh those employers have had with their employer at this time.
>> Do you think they are negotiating? >> That would be speculation, Senator. I'm
not involved in those discussions in any
>> Okay. So, who in the department pays attention to uh this kind of process to ensure that it is validly occurring where it is those workers rights to petition? And secretary, if I can come
those investigations that have been undertaken so far sit with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority as the port state control, pardon me, um for um the assessment of maritime labor convention um claims at the moment, which is where that sits. In the future, when the new exemption comes into play, the department will have a role in considering any of those complaints. If
I might add, Senator, um that when the
uh industry will need to comply with to
maintain that exemption.
>> I read it out in my question.
>> Yes. And one of those is to enable that they must uh allow collective bargaining. So that will be a