The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has welcomed a decision by Australian authorities to detain the 'Xing Ning Hai' in Devonport over hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid wages
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has welcomed a decision by Australian authorities to detain the 'Xing Ning Hai' in Devonport over hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid wages. The vessel had arrived in port on July 22, 2018, and unloaded its cargo of gypsum but has been detained by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) after the recent discovery in the United States that the 22 Chinese nationals onboard were owed more than $250,000USD. The shipowners had promised to pay the full amount of back pay owed upon leaving the United States but serious questions remain over whether the full amount has been paid. The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has twice inspected the vessel during the week to investigate the outstanding wages, while Hong Kong authorities have arrived in Australia for a joint inspection with AMSA. The bulkcarrier sailed again on July 29 at 4.50 a.m., bound to Gldstone.
