Australian Maritime Unions and Flag of Convenience Vessels

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to update Kingsley Laffer's 1977 Journal of Industrial Relations article on the policies of Australian trade unions with respect to flag of convenience vessels. Australian unions have supported the campaign against such vessels initiated by the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF). After detailing the process by which the maritime unions become aware of whether or not a flag of convenience vessel is operating under the conditions established by the ITF, the paper goes on to examine two disputes involving flag of convenience vessels. The first, in 1977, was a ban by the Seamen's Union of Australia on coal ships operated by Utah Development Company; the second, in 1981, was a ban by several unions on the use of flag of convenience vessels in the coal trade in New South Wales. The paper discusses these disputes and offers an evaluation of the unions' activities in the general ITF campaign.