The Wire

In Tasmania, the Chinese-registered ship Sea Angel was detained last night after reports that crew on the ship were working without adequate provisions and in squalor. The Maritime Union of Australia has been extremely critical of the federal government for allowing so-called flags of convenience ships to operate in Australian Ports. These ships avoid the industrial, environmental and safety regulations of their own countries by flying the flags of countries without those safeguards. Without Australian legislation to protect these workers, officials from the Maritime Union are emphasizing the necessity of applying pressure to Australian companies hiring flags of convenience shipping. Sarah Greenlees asked Mike Wickham, secretary of the Tasmanian branch of the MUA, about the conditions experienced by the crew on board the Sean Angel.