Australia bars bulk carrier for 12 months for underpaying crew wages

Following a complaint to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) by the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) over discrepancies in pay an Australian surveyor found the ship was operating two sets of accounts onboard.

“One set of accounts showed the amount of pay the crew should have been receiving in line with their Seafarer Employment Agreements and the other showed what the crew were actually receiving,” AMSA said.

A comparison of the accounts showed the crew were being unpaid by more than $17,000 per month with records of this going back until April.

The Panama-flagged DL Carnation is managed by Korean firm Daelim Corp. The vessel was detained under the MLC until confirmation on 14 September the crew had been the outstanding wages, and AMSA barred the vessel from entering Australian ports for a year.

“By maintaining multiple accounts of wages it demonstrates a knowledge and intent to not only withhold wages but to also actively deceive authorities,” said AMSA’s general manager of operations, Allan Schwartz.

“This is completely unacceptable behaviour and will not be tolerated in Australia.”