MV Portland: Rallies Support Sacked Crew

Simultaneous rallies in Australia’s Melbourne and Sydney were held on January 27 in support of the sacked crew of the MV Portland. The Maritime Union of Australia is demanding an investigation into Alcoa’s actions after the American-based miner forcibly replaced the Australian seafarers with foreign workers.

On January 13, at 1am five crewmembers on board the Alcoa-owned vessel, the MV Portland, were woken by up to 30 security guards and intimidated into leaving the vessel following a 60-day dispute. 

The MV Portland had plied the trade between Western Australia and Victoria for more than 27 years.

MUA Assistant National Secretary Ian Bray said that because it occurred in a Victorian port the State government had a responsibility to hold and inquiry into the raid. 

“There are still many unanswered questions as to why this was allowed to occur,” Bray said at a rally outside of Liberal Party headquarters in Melbourne.   

“We’ve seen no evidence that the replacement crew were competent, qualified or suitably trained. We don’t know what visa they were allowed to enter Australia on?

“What we are sure of is that an operation as sophisticated as Alcoa undertook, with the hired security, must’ve been planned in advance and both the state and federal government would have to had some knowledge to allow the security guards and the foreign crew into the maritime security zone.”

The MV Portland, which carried alumina between Western Australia and the smelter in Portland, Victoria has sailed to southeast Asia to be scrapped, however the route between Western Australia and Victoria is still in operation. Alcoa have chartered foreign vessels, with a foreign crew to ply the domestic route in contravention to the Coastal Trading Act 2012, said the MUA in a statement.

The federal government issued Alcoa with a temporary license at the end of 2015 which enables the company to circumnavigate the laws.

Bray said it was to be expected that profit-driven Alcoa would try and undermine Australian wages and conditions but it was untenable that the Australian government would be complicit.

“This whole headache could go away with the swipe of a pen. The Turnbull government could revoke the license immediately and the 40 jobs the MV Portland generated would be returned,” he said. 

Bray was joined by Victorian Branch Secretary Joe Italia who said the loss of jobs on the MV Portland was just the tip of the iceberg, and, if not opposed, those job losses would permeate into other industries. 

MV Portland delegate Dale Eaton jumped onto the back of the ute and spoke at the demonstration. He spoke about the poor treatment he and the others had received from Alcoa.

He also said that although the MV Portland may have sailed, the fight was far from over and that he, the crew and every other supporter would continue to fight for their jobs and for the right of Australians to work in their own country.

Meanwhile, simultaneously in Sydney, the branch took their fight to the building of Shipping Australia, the body that looks after the interests of international shipowners at the behest of local industry and workers.

Approximately 100 members and supporters occupied the building until 2pm.

Alcoa Takes Action

At the time of the removal of the MV Portland crew, Alcoa issued a statement saying it had taken decisive action. “Alcoa has been extremely tolerant and given the MUA and its members every opportunity to stop their illegal industrial action,” said Alcoa of Australia Managing Director Michael Parker.
 
“Instead, the MUA has held our ship hostage for two months; disrupting the lives of other crew members, disrupting operations at the Port of Portland, and threatening the Portland community with the loss of cruise ship visits.
 
“The MUA acted as if it was above the law, defying Fair Work Commission and Federal Court rulings; leaving the ship managers with no option but to replace the MUA crew – with the full support of Alcoa.”

The MV Portland is owned by Alcoa Portland Aluminium Pty Ltd which holds a contract with ASP Ship Management Pty Ltd (ASP) to operate the vessel. The crew of the MV Portland are employees of ASP Ship Management.
 
With the price of aluminium at levels not seen since the global financial crisis, the global aluminium industry, and in particular aluminium smelters, are under considerable pressure, with many running at a loss, said Alcoa in the statement.
 
In Australia, Alcoa’s focus is on reducing operating costs and improving productivity to help all our facilities remain internationally competitive, both now and into the future.  Alcoa Inc announced on November 2, 2015, it would idle three smelters in the United States, and on Thursday January 7, 2016, that another smelter in the U.S. will be closed.

One of the many cost saving measures being taken at Portland Aluminium smelter is to sell the 27 year old MV Portland in an attempt to help protect approximately 700 direct jobs and many more indirect jobs associated with the smelter.
 
The savings to the smelter are not insignificant – more than $6 million per year.
 
The MV Portland is near the end of its operating life and is scheduled for a statutory dry-dock in mid-January 2017. The cost to keep it operational is expected to be in the $millions.
 
Alcoa chose to sell the vessel and replace it with a more cost efficient method of delivery of alumina from Western Australia to the Portland Aluminium smelter.
 
The MV Portland is crewed by ASP. There are approximately 40 people in the total crew pool, with 19 on the vessel at any one time, including seven MUA members. Alcoa has been advised that two of the MUA crew members live in Portland.