29 July 2014
AREEA – Australia’s resource industry employer group
AUSTRALIA’S maritime unions continue to put their self interest ahead of the community by embarking on legal action intended to disrupt the vital contribution international specialists make to the nation’s $200 billion offshore oil and gas industry.
“Through its self-interested and misleading campaign against non-Australian workers, the MUA and AMOU continue to put at risk an industry that employs 70,000 Australians,” says Scott Barklamb, AREEA executive director.
“It is very concerning to see the maritime unions mount a legal challenge against the government’s restoration of offshore migration arrangements that are globally consistent and maintain established Australian regulation.
“Union claims about protecting Australian jobs are a complete fabrication. This is a deliberate attempt to misrepresent how the offshore resource sector works and an attempt to hold the government to ransom.”
It is important to note that:
- No Australian jobs are threatened by the existing, long-standing arrangements for offshore construction and maritime services taking place in international waters.
- 97% of Australia’s resource industry employees are, and will remain, Australians – this matter has no bearing on existing Australian jobs or new opportunities for non-Australians.
- The industry continues to train thousands of Australians for vibrant careers in the growing and rewarding resources sector. This also allows Australians to work globally.
- On international specialist vessels working on projects outside Australia’s migration zone, around 75% of crew members are Australian residents and are paid, taxed and superannuated in full accordance with Australian laws.
- The small remainder are specialists (mostly from Europe) that travel globally and are paid in accordance with their national laws and with international maritime law.
“The participation of international specialists in offshore resources activities creates jobs for Australians, both directly through partnerships with local maritime labour hire companies and indirectly through the wide flow-on effects of this critical work,” Mr Barklamb says.
“This self-interested campaign simply comes down to the maritime unions wanting to extend their control into areas where they have no historic legal right or practical reason to do so.
“By pursuing this irresponsible campaign, they are creating major concerns and uncertainty for an industry that competes globally, employs over 70,000 Australians and has brought more than $200 billion of investment to our country.”
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