ITF FOC Campaign Australia

24/05/2026

While the world focuses on geopolitics and oil prices, thousands of seafarers remain trapped in the Gulf, facing uncertainty, isolation, and mounting mental health pressures. The human cost of conflict is too often overlooked. Seafarers are not expendable—they deserve safety, support, and the right to return home. ⚓

Seafarer refuses to sail through the strait, citing safety risks and mounting psychological toll

22/05/2026

This case over the Easter long weekend once again highlights the vital role the ITF Inspectorate, our dedicated volunteers, and our affiliated unions play in standing up for the rights of hardworking seafarers visiting Australian ports.

🚨 ISSUES
• 7 months of crew wage underpayments
• Non-payment of hold cleaning allowance
• Insufficient food onboard
• Company failing to provide free drinking water for seafarers
• Manning company harassing and attempting to intimidate crew members, suggesting they would need to return their wages once received or face being blacklisted from future employment

Appalling.

✅ OUTCOME
• 7 months' backpay secured in Newcastle
• Hold cleaning allowance paid in full
• Apology and guarantee letter issued by the manning agent to the crew and the ITF
• AMSA subsequently detained the vessel for MLC breaches, unseaworthiness, and being substandard
• Vessel banned by AMSA for 6 months
• Crew repatriated in Singapore
• April wages secured
• Additional months of basic wages secured due to the unscrupulous actions of the manning company
• Total wages recovered for the crew: USD $80,691.31

Despite the long list of serious issues onboard, if you can believe it, the ITF Inspector was approached by several port managers wanting to know:
(1) How we got into the terminal
(2) Who informed us about the issues onboard
(3) How long we had known about them

Equally appalling.

Every state. Every region. Every port.

If you're doing the wrong thing, there is nowhere to hide.

Messages from the crew:

💬 “Thank you MUA and ITF, from the Filipino crew of BBG WUZHOU.”

💬 “Thank you so much for all the help, sir. Without the ITF, we could never fight for our rights or be recognised for all our hard work onboard.”

💬 “Thank you again, sir, for all the help you have given us. We are all very thankful to the ITF.”

19/03/2026

https://www.9news.com.au/national/billiondollar-co***ne-discovery-leaves-crew-members-stranded-in-sydney-harbour/34b20f90-9553-49a4-8d18-1547947cddce

The MV Raider was left drifting at sea following an alleged co***ne seizure, where, according to reports, the co***ne was “thrown into the sea.” Neither French Polynesian nor Cook Islands authorities arrested any members of the crew. In the aftermath, the crew were left stranded without adequate food, with limited water, and with insufficient fuel. Conditions that raise serious concerns under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).
Today, those same seafarers face detention far from home, separated from their families, uncertain about what comes next, and caught in a system they did not create.
These are working people. Fathers. Sons. Breadwinners.
They came to sea to earn a living, not to become casualties of a global industry built on shifting responsibility and minimising accountability.
We understand that the detention is expected to be for the purpose of repatriation.
We expect that the process will ensure fair treatment and due process while the Australian Border Force arrange for the crew to be returned home to their families.
The ITF will be closely monitoring the situation and will assess whether further assistance, including legal representation, is required should any additional matters arise during the detention process.
But this case once again highlights a much bigger issue.
Too often, seafarers working under Flags of Convenience (FOC) are placed in vulnerable positions created by international corporate structures designed to minimise accountability and maximise profit. When systems fail, it is rarely the corporations or beneficial owners who face consequences. It is the crew.
Seafarers should never become collateral damage in a global shipping system built to shield responsibility.
The ITF will continue to ensure that seafarers are treated fairly, repatriated safely, and supported throughout this process.
⚓ No seafarer should stand alone.
Americas ITF - International Transport Workers' Federation ITF Americas ITF Arab World ITF Women ITF Asia Pacific - International Transport Workers' Federation ITF Wellbeing ITF Wellbeing Maritime Union of Australia - MUA Maritime Union of Australia - Newcastle Branch Maritime Union of Australia - WA Branch MUA Geelong Branch Maritime Union of Australia - Tasmanian Branch Maritime Union of Australia SA Branch Maritime Union of Australia - QLD Branch Maritime Union of New Zealand Tony Burke MP Catherine King

13/03/2026

🌏⚓ Strengthening Solidarity in Fiji

Last month, ITF Inspector Dan Crumlin travelled to Fiji as part of the ongoing Fiji Water Campaign, continuing the work to support seafarers and strengthen relationships across the region.

Dan was joined by Asif Altaf (ITF Mental Health Representative), Jake Blenkinsop from Hunterlink, Scott McDine (ITF Asia Pacific Coordinator), and Justin Timmons (MUA Safety & Training) for a week of engagement with maritime workers and stakeholders.

During the visit the team:
• Met with ITF affiliates and rank-and-file members
• Visited vessels, including a Fiji Water ship
• Spoke directly with dock workers and port stakeholders
• Worked with Port State Control on compliance matters
• Rectified MLC issues, including concerns around food and shore leave
• Delivered a First Responders in Stress Management course to support worker wellbeing

The visit reinforced the strength of international solidarity and the importance of collaboration between unions, inspectors, welfare providers and regulators.

We look forward to continuing this work alongside our partners in Fiji to ensure seafarers and maritime workers are treated with dignity, fairness and respect. ✊⚓

Asia Pacific - International Transport Workers' Federation
ITF - International Transport Workers' Federation Maritime Union of Australia - MUA

12/03/2026

Carnival cannot claim to be “home porting” their ships in Australia and benefiting from Australian ports while taking deliberate steps to sit outside Australian law.

If there was nothing wrong on board, why prevent a government official from boarding to carry out a safety inspection?

We say that employers doing the wrong thing have nowhere to hide — yet Carnival appears to be doing everything it can to hide from scrutiny. ⚓



Maritime Union of Australia - MUA ITF - International Transport Workers' Federation

11/03/2026

Modern slavery risks in seafood supply chains

Last week in Canberra, the ITF Network Coordinator for the Region attended the launch of a new report by Greenpeace Southeast Asia and the Uniting Church examining modern slavery risks in tuna supply chains connected to Australia.

The research outlines serious concerns, including debt bo***ge, wage withholding, recruitment fees, long periods at sea without leave, and weak oversight in parts of the Indonesian fishing sector. These are the same patterns the ITF continues to see across maritime cases throughout our region.

The Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner’s office was present, with discussion focusing on what Australia must do next. While reporting under the Modern Slavery Act has improved transparency, stronger enforcement and due diligence are clearly the next step. Calls were also made for tighter import controls, greater supply chain transparency, and stronger investigative capacity.

Australia is a major seafood importer. Responsibility doesn’t stop at the water’s edge.

Modern slavery at sea is not someone else’s problem — the policy decisions made in Australia matter.
ITF Asia Pacific - International Transport Workers' Federation ITF - International Transport Workers' Federation Maritime Union of Australia - MUA ITF Women ITF Wellbeing

08/03/2026

🌍⚓ International Women’s Day

Today we celebrate the women who keep the maritime industry moving, both at sea and on shore.

From seafarers and dock workers to inspectors, organisers, welfare workers and union members, women continue to play a vital role in protecting workers’ rights across the global shipping industry.

But the reality is that women in maritime still face significant barriers - from underrepresentation and discrimination to harassment and unsafe working conditions.

The Australian ITF inspectorate remains committed to building a safer, fairer industry, where women can work with dignity, respect, and equal opportunity.

Today we celebrate the strength, resilience, and leadership of women across our movement, and reaffirm our commitment to the work still ahead.

✊ Solidarity with women across the maritime world on the day that internationally recognises your challenges, your successes, and your contributions.

ITF Women ITF Wellbeing Asia Pacific - International Transport Workers' Federation Maritime Union of Australia - WA Branch Maritime Union of Australia - MUA Maritime Union of Australia - Victoria Branch

06/03/2026

🚢 Shore Leave Is a Right — Not a Privilege

For more than 12 months, seafarers on multiple vessels were subjected to blanket restrictions on shore leave — effectively denying them the basic right to step ashore and disconnect from life at sea.

Shore leave is a fundamental protection under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) and is essential for seafarers’ wellbeing after long periods onboard.

This week, ITF Inspectors in Australia worked alongside AMSA to challenge these practices and uphold seafarers’ rights. As a result, deficiencies were issued under the MLC, leading to the lifting of restrictions and the restoration of shore leave access.

For hundreds of seafarers, this has meant the end of conditions many described as a “prison sentence” at sea.

No seafarer should be denied their basic rights. The ITF will continue to take action wherever standards are ignored. ⚓

ITF - International Transport Workers' Federation ITF Wellbeing ITF Asia Pacific - International Transport Workers' Federation ITF Arab World ITF Americas ITF Seafarers' Support ITF the Netherlands ITF Delhi office Maritime Union of Australia - NT Branch MUA Geelong Branch Maritime Union of Australia - MUA Maritime Union of Australia - WA Branch Maritime Union of Australia - Newcastle Branch Maritime Union of Australia - QLD Branch Maritime Union of Australia - Tasmanian Branch Australian Maritime Safety Authority - AMSA

23/02/2026

⚓ Standing Up for Abandoned Seafarers 🌍

Last week, Ian Bray, ITF Coordinator in Australia, and Sandra Bernal, ITF Asia-Pacific Network Coordinator, attended the conference hosted by the Mission to Seafarers Australia in Adelaide.

As part of an expert panel, Ian and Sandra tackled one of the most urgent issues facing maritime workers globally: seafarer abandonment — when crews are left stranded without wages, food, or repatriation. 🚢

They unpacked the complex reality behind these cases, which often extend far beyond individual shipowners and can involve flags of convenience and serious failures in the financial security systems meant to safeguard seafarers. The discussion also highlighted the vital work of the ITF Inspectorate in recovering unpaid wages, securing essential supplies, and ensuring crews are safely brought home. ✊

The conference brought together leading voices in seafarer welfare, reinforcing a powerful message: protecting maritime workers requires strong collaboration across the entire industry. Together, we strengthen the safety, dignity, and rights of seafarers worldwide. 💙


Mission to Seafarers Australia ITF - International Transport Workers' Federation ITF Women