Maritime Union Of Australia
National Office
P. Crumlin
M. Doleman
National Secretary
R Newlyn
J Tannock
Assistant National Secretaries
Deputy National Secretary
LEVEL 2, 365 SUSSEX STREET, SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA, 2000
TELEPHONE: (02) 9267 9134 • FACSIMILIE: (02) 9261 3481
Media Release
Sunday 31st August 2008
Workers blockade Newcastle ship
Workers aboard the Australian ship the Seakap are refusing to sail today following the
breakdown of crisis talks with the company Koppers Australia last night.
They have been told that all 30 workers will be sacked and replaced with two foreign-
flagged vessels with foreign labour on lower wages. The workers are refusing to leave
until they are offered jobs on a different vessel.
“The gangplank has been raised, no orders will be followed and this vessel will not
sail until we get a favourable offer from the company,” said Trevor Moore, a worker
speaking on behalf of the crew.
‘We the crew of the M.T. Seakap condemn in the strongest possible terms the
deplorable actions of Koppers Australia in seeing off this Australian flagged and
manned vessel and replacing it with a foreign manned vessel. This exporting of
Australian jobs fly in the face of the Rudd Governments inquiry into the coastal
shipping policy and regulation that is attempting to revitalize the Australian shipping
industry.”
The Maritime Union, who has been negotiating on behalf of the workers, is calling on
the Federal Government to close the loopholes in the regulation of Australian
shipping that make these cases possible.
"The Maritime Union of Australia wants to resolve this dispute and get these blokes
back to work in secure employment," said Rick Newlyn, Assistant National Secretary
of the MUA.
“The Federal Government must to get serious and show their commitment to
protecting and revitalising the Australian shipping industry,” he continued.
The MUA is looking for significant action from the Federal Government when it
hands down recommendations from its shipping review expected in October this year.
Contacts:
Worker on the ship - Trevor Moore: 0425228253
MUA Assistant National Secretary - Rick Newlyn: 0418 841 378
NEWS 
