Pakistani crew members walk off Fremantle live export ship 'Maysora' over wage dispute

Foreign crew members walk off Fremantle live export ship over wage dispute
Nick Butterly, 19 September 2018 https://thewest.com.au/business/agriculture/foreign-crew-members-walk-of...

Foreign crew members have walked off a live export ship berthed in Fremantle amid a dispute over wages.

The dispute comes as the live export industry works to restore the trade after the country’s biggest exporter was blocked from operating after a cruelty scandal.

It is understood 16 crew members from the vessel Maysora presented themselves to Australian Border Force officers on Monday night claiming they had gone unpaid for a long period of time and did not want to return to the ship.

Another three crew members walked off the vessel yesterday.

The crew were all from Pakistan. A number of the group have already been flown out of Australia.

A spokesman for the Australian Border Force confirmed 19 crew members from a commercial vessel had been detained at Fremantle after their maritime crew visas were ceased.

“The ABF conducts regular operational activity at Australia’s ports to ensure all foreign crew comply with the conditions of their visas and is continuing to monitor this vessel and its crew,” the ABF said.

“As this is operation is ongoing, we will not be commenting further.”

The Maysora is loading both sheep and cattle. It is contracted by Perth-based Livestock Shipping Services, but the vessel is owned by Jordan’s Mira Shipping.

LSS had no comment on the issue when contacted yesterday.

The shipment is the first major transport of sheep from WA since Perth’s Emanuel Exports was blocked from trading by the Agriculture Department in Canberra.