The Albanese Government's work to address seafarer wage theft has taken an important step forward, with the signing of an enhanced Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Fair Work Ombudsman and Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
The MoU paves the way for these agencies to improve seafarer wage compliance monitoring, share regional contacts, and conduct joint inspections of foreign-flagged vessels suspected of wage non-compliance.
This will help level the playing field for Australian crewed vessels by preventing foreign vessels from undercutting Australian legal requirements to pay correct wages.
It forms part of our Government's commitment to ensuring seafarers on foreign vessels operating under a temporary licence in Australian waters are paid the wages they are owed.
It also helps deliver on our priority of ensuring all employers comply with the Fair Work Act, and our commitment to protecting workers from wage theft.
This MoU is an important milestone in our $2.7 million compliance program pilot, which is allowing the Fair Work Ombudsman, Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development to ramp up monitoring activities of seafarer wages on foreign-flagged vessels - as well as investigations into potential non-compliance by employers.
We look forward to seeing this work continue and to support all seafarers and our maritime industry.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King:
"The Albanese Government is committed to rebuilding Australia's shipping capabilities and supporting its current and future seafarers.
"That is why we have committed to the establishment of a strategic fleet and appointed a taskforce to provide recommendation to government on its establishment. Additional funding for increased compliance activity related to the payment of wages was one of the recommendations.
"We are delivering on our commitments to build Australia's future."
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Murray Watt:
"The Albanese Government is committed to standing up for Australian workers so to ensure they earn more and keep more of what they earn.
"This work builds on the workplace relations changes we've already delivered, including criminalising wage theft.
"The MoU is an important step towards better protecting seafarers from wage theft and ensuring no worker is underpaid."
