Chinese bulk carrier banned from Australia for mistreating seafarers.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has banned a Chinese-owned and managed bulker from Australian waters for one year due to mistreatment and wage theft from seafarers. This is part of AMSA’s effort to enforce safety issues and seafarer welfare on ships calling in Australian waters. This is the sixth refusal of access determination issued by AMSA in 2023, with the previous five related to maintenance issues. AMSA has increased the number of bans from previous years as it seeks to uphold proper standards. The banned vessel, MSXT Emily, arrived at the Port of Hay Point on August 7 and was inspected by AMSA after a tip-off from the International Transport Workers’ Federation. The investigation revealed widespread violations of seafarers’ rights, including unpaid wages and forged signatures on contracts. AMSA found that over US$77,000 in unpaid wages was owed to seafarers and accused the vessel’s operator of concealing repeated cases of wage theft. AMSA thanked the ITF for bringing the matter to its attention and emphasized that seafarer welfare should be a priority for every shipping operator.

AMSA has banned a Chinese-owned and managed bulker from Australian waters for one year due to mistreatment and wage theft from seafarers. This is part of their effort to enforce safety issues and seafarer welfare. The vessel, MSXT Emily, arrived at the Port of Hay Point on August 7 and was inspected by AMSA after a tip-off from the International Transport Workers’ Federation. The investigation revealed widespread violations of seafarers’ rights, including unpaid wages and forged signatures on contracts. AMSA found that over US$77,000 in unpaid wages was owed to seafarers and accused the vessel’s operator of concealing repeated cases of wage theft. AMSA thanked the ITF for bringing the matter to its attention and emphasized that seafarer welfare should be a priority for every shipping operator.

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