Maritime Union of Australia - MUA

Maritime Union of Australia - MUA The Maritime Union of Australia -- A division of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union Community Standards
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Maritime Union of Australia – Policy on conduct and behaviour on social media and communication

The Maritime union of Australia uses multiple social media platforms as a means of communication with members, the community, retired union members and their supporters or people who are interested in joining the union. We aim to have a community that engages and shares their views, ideas, knowledge,

and experiences. The Australian union movement is incredibly diverse, so please be respectful of others and not engage in behaviour that would make a fellow union member feel excluded or uncomfortable. Trolls will not be tolerated, and we reserve the right to ban anyone from our community, so our standards and community are protected. Comments using inappropriate language, which are abusive towards others, or which appear to deliberately provoke arguments, will be deleted. Any behaviour that makes supporters feel harassed or likely to disengage with the community will could also be removed. Do not break the law. Do not post comments which are defamatory, discriminatory, incite violence, infringe copyright or are otherwise unlawful. Messages that are factually wrong and misleading may also be deleted. Comply with the Rules of the Union. Any member of the Union who assaults, insults, or abuses a National Officer, a Branch Officer, a job delegate, another member or an employee of the Union may be charged under the Rules of the Union. The space provided on news articles and opinion pieces is provided for you to discuss the articles' content. Do not post messages which are irrelevant. Be concise. By keeping your contributions short and to the point, they are most likely to engage and inspire other people. Don't dominate the conversation. Everyone has a right to share their views, as long as comments are not in violation of these guidelines. Be respectful of others and try not to take up all the space! Don't advertise. Contributions that seek to endorse commercial products or activities or solicit business will be deleted. Do not use a nickname that is defamatory, abusive or contains swearing. Contributors must not intentionally impersonate other people.

Farewell Accolade II Welcome Yampu
17/06/2026

Farewell Accolade II
Welcome Yampu

Qube has come out in opposition to high-risk licensing for maritime crane operators. Every crane driver in our community...
15/06/2026

Qube has come out in opposition to high-risk licensing for maritime crane operators.

Every crane driver in our community holds a licence, yet Qube does not believe its employees, or other wharfies and seafarers in one of the most dangerous and dynamic industries, deserve the same standard.

Safe Work Australia must reject profit-first arguments from corporations that put workers’ lives at risk.

Follow the link in the comments below to see the MUA submission to Safe Work Australia.

12/06/2026

MUA National Secretary Jake Field featured on ABC Radio to discuss the first vessel for the Strategic Fleet, the ANL Kokoda, what it means for our economic security, and when we should expect the next vessel delivery.

08/06/2026

Carnival Australia crew member Queen came forward to the MUA to share a reality that most people never see.

A reality of poor working conditions, terrible food, exploitative wages, and working extreme long hours with no days off.

Some of Queens crew mates in the galley are working more than 12 hours a day.

What Queen has described is happening right now, all up and down the Australian coastline.

You tell us: is this treatment of workers acceptable on our coast?

We don’t think so. The MUA will not stop fighting until the crew members on Carnival Cruises win a union agreement, and the basic dignity and respect that they deserve.

05/06/2026

MUA members care deeply about protecting our oceans and waterways – that’s why they’re fighting to make sure oil and gas companies clean up their messes when they decommission old rigs.

And they need the Government to support their work and ensure that oil and gas companies aren’t let off the hook.

The MUA and the surfing community of the South Coast is deeply saddened by the tragic and sudden loss of MUA member and ...
31/05/2026

The MUA and the surfing community of the South Coast is deeply saddened by the tragic and sudden loss of MUA member and Integrated Rating Nathan Bartlett at Jervis Bay.

DONATE HERE: https://www.gofundme.com/f/nathan-bartlett

A deeply respected seafarer and South Coast surfer, father, husband, brother, and one of Australian surfing’s great underground chargers, tragically passed away while surfing in Jervis Bay this week.

Nathan was a father to a young family, and comrade to many friends and workers in the maritime industry.

Nathan was an enthusiastic and committed union member, an internationalist and friend to many in the trade union and surfing communities.

We are raising funds to assist his family through this harrowing and tragic period.

This GoFundMe campaign is being run by Paddy Crumlin with administrative support from the Maritime Union of Australia’s National Office. For any questions or for further information, call the MUA’s National Office on 02 9267 9134 during business hours.

DONATE HERE: https://www.gofundme.com/f/nathan-bartlett

30/05/2026

The Strategic Fleet is now on course and delivering new seafaring jobs for Australian maritime workers.

The reflagging of the ANL Kokoda under the red ensign, with the support of the federal government and the broader maritime industry, marks a significant shift in Australia’s sovereign capacity, our national resilience, and the future of maritime jobs around our coastline.

Already, we are seeing the excitement and the enthusiasm of our members for this massive new opportunity. It’s the first of many to come.

The Strategic Fleet will grow to at least 12 ships, providing training and skills opportunities as well as rewarding and fulfilling employment for a new generation of Australian merchant mariners.

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞The Maritime Union of Australia joined Minis...
28/05/2026

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞

The Maritime Union of Australia joined Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Catherine King MP, in Townsville this morning to jointly announce the first ship to be reflagged under the red ensign through the Australian Strategic Fleet and operate in our domestic coastal trade under a new framework for Australian cabotage.

The first new ship to be put into service through the Strategic Fleet is the ANL Kokoda, a large cargo and container ship currently flagged in Malta. It will now be flagged in Australia and crewed by Australian seafarers under Australian workplace law.

“Australian seafarers will go up the gangway on the ANL Kokoda and make history as the first crews to operate a Strategic Fleet vessel, delivering on many years of hard policy work, tireless engagement, and dedicated advocacy by our Union on behalf of members,” MUA National Secretary Jake Field said.

Under the terms of the Strategic Fleet arrangements, vessels will be available to the Federal Government and its various agencies to be requisitioned in times of need, emergency or crises, such as natural disasters and supply chain disruptions.

Whether it’s bushfire, flooding, pandemic or geopolitical tension, the ANL Kokoda and the future additional ships joining it in the Strategic Fleet will be on hand to deliver supplies or equipment and be able to assist when Australian communities or industries need it most.

"Young Australians want to go to sea. They are clamouring for a rewarding and fulfilling maritime career and this provides the foundation for that promise," Mr Field told the gathering at Berth 4 of Townsville Port.

"The Strategic Fleet delivers economic security, resilience and employment for a new generation of Australian seafarers. We are an island nation, one of the world’s greatest users of shipping, so of course we need Australian ships working our coastline in the national interest,” Mr Field added.

As part of the five year pilot, the vessel (the first in the three-ship pilot program) will become Australian-flagged and crewed, helping to rebuild our national shipping industry. The overall program, of at least twelve ships altogether, will bolster resilience and help grow our sovereign maritime workforce ensuring we have the skills and capabilities to operate our ports and maritime services into the future.

Paddy Crumlin, former MUA National Secretary, and President of the ITF welcomed the announcement.

"Shipping is the lifeblood of Australia’s social and economic wealth, but for too long we have been dependent on foreign multinational owned and controlled ships that pay vulnerable workers slave wages to deliver it. Not only is this exploitative, it undermines our national security and supply chain sovereignty. The Australian strategic fleet puts shipping back, front and centre, in the national supply chain and the national psyche."

The MUA has led an ongoing, concerted campaign to restore Australian shipping alongside a broad coalition of other maritime unions such as the AMOU and AIMPE, shipping industry representatives such as MIAL, and users of shipping including major energy companies and downstream supply chain participants.

“Everyone bar the multinational shipping cartels themselves understand how important it is for Australia to have its own ships on the coast operating in our economic, social and strategic interests,” Mr Field said.

“For too long, neoliberal deregulation dogma has dominated the policy settings of our country’s maritime infrastructure, so the reflagging of the ANL Kokoda and the other ships that will join it within the Strategic Fleet as the pilot program advances are exciting developments for our industry and our members as we move to rebuild the shipping sector in a secure and sustainable fashion,” Mr Field added.

22/05/2026

AI and automation have the potential to remove millions from their work and destroy communities in the process, all because of corporate greed.

The technology doesn't have to cost us our jobs and put our livelihoods at risk just because the bosses want to increase 'productivity' and boost 'profits'. It should instead be put in the hands of the working class and used for the benefit of everyone, not the few.

The only way we can make that happen and stop this onslaught of job cuts is through cross-workforce solidarity. Union with Union, wharfies with accountants, seafarers with nurses, admin and construction workers, all coming together.

It's a shared struggle. So that means that as the MUA deals with DP World's attempt to cut wharfies from their work, other unions, workers and community members should stand with us. You can be sure the MUA and its members will do the same for you.

If you're worried about AI and Automation taking your job and want to be a part of the shared struggle, tell your local politician to regulate it.

You can do so by following the link in the comments below.

21/05/2026

As the campaign for protecting offshore workers across Australia continues, MUA Newcastle Branch Secretary Glen Williams shares his experience.

In this video, Glen talks about the tragic incident involving Andrew Kelly, a respected and loved individual who was a seafarer and member of the MUA Newcastle branch.

Andrew Kelly worked as a deck crew member on board the Norwegian-owned, Bahamas-flagged offshore vessel, Skandi Pacific, which was contracted to Chevron Australia. In July 2015, Andrew was crushed to death when a wave came over the stern of the vessel, shifting deck cargo and trapping him between a container and chains. Andrew was 39 years old. He left behind a wife and four children, all under the age of ten.

After Andrew’s death, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau determined that Australian OHS law did not apply to the Skandi Pacific. This was despite the vessel operating entirely in the Australian offshore oil and gas industry, Andrew and most of the crew being Australian residents and citizens, and Andrew being employed by an Australian company.

While the Fair Work Act covered the crew, they were not protected by Australian WHS legislation. The Occupational Health and Safety (Maritime Industry) Act 1993 should have applied.

It is the safety legislation for Australian ships working beyond state waters, including those on overseas voyages. It also has provisions for application to foreign-flag vessels working in Australia with a majority Australian crew, such as the Skandi Pacific.

However, its application provisions have become outdated and no longer effectively cover thousands of Australian workers on foreign-flagged vessels operating in the Australian offshore oil and gas industry, as well as many Australians on foreign-flagged vessels in coastal trades.

As Glen says, a decade has passed since Andrew's death, and nothing has changed. The risk of tragedy remains ever-present.

If you want to see our offshore workers across Australia have equal safety laws that onshore workers have, sign our petition. Link in the comments below.

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