WAGE THEFT aboard a BlueScope chartered foreign-flagged ship in Port Kembla has been exposed after intervention from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).

Inspections by ITF inspectors in Western Port and Port Kembla of the Panamanian registered vessel KEN EI, in January, led to $38,384 in coastal wages being paid immediately in cash to the 20 Filipino seafarers crewing the ship.

“Upon arriving in Western Port, the crew on the KEN EI immediately asked our inspector about claims for payment for two coastal voyages and requested that the ITF contact the shipowner as they had no correspondence or indication that they would be paid by either the shipowner or charterers BlueScope and Rio Tinto,” said ITF national coordinator Dean Summers.

“This is the cold, hard reality of the decision by BHP and BlueScope to end 100 years of Australian shipping, dumping Australian crews and replacing them with Flag of Convenience vessels,” said Mr Summers.

Seafarers working Flag of Convenience (FoC) ships are subjected to exploitation, poor working conditions and wages and are often at the mercy of a system that allows for minimum regulation, according to the ITF.

“Wage theft is one of the biggest problems in the global shipping industry. In December last year alone, ITF inspectors conducted 761 inspections and recovered almost $2 million in wages stolen from the world’s seafarers,” said Mr Summers.

“The decision by BHP and BlueScope – facilitated by the Morrison Government – has again opened the door to more exploitation on our coast.

“In this case, the shipowner only cooperated after we alerted them to their obligations under Australian law. We even had to correct their calculations to ensure the crew were paid correctly.

“One inspection led to almost $40,000 being paid to the crew on the KEN EI which fuels our concerns about the health, safety and welfare of the crews working on foreign flagged vessels chartered by BHP and BlueScope across the country.

“This is compounded by the fact that BHP have blocked ITF Inspectors access to conduct inspections onboard ships at their ports, and manufactured excuses to keep working and living conditions on these ships sheltered from scrutiny,” said Mr Summers.

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THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed a $1,000,000 donation by Glencore to the North Queensland flood recovery to help support communities in flood-stricken areas.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said while North Queenslanders were dealing with the impact from the devastating weather event, everyone should play their part in giving a helping hand. 

“The resources sector has a proud and long history of working with regional Queensland communities especially in a time of need and I thank Glencore for this generous donation,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“This catastrophic weather has inundated people’s homes, flooded local businesses and tested North Queenslanders’ resolve.  But while locals are down, they’re definitely not out, and now is the time for everyone to do what they can to start the recovery. 

“Glencore has been operating in the Townsville region for nearly 60 years and understands first hand from their employees and suppliers the true devastation of this flood.

“Glencore will work in cooperation with the Townsville City Council and the Queensland Government to ensure the funds are distributed to the appropriate disaster relief organisations. 

“Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced a $200,000 donation to begin the financial contribution to non-government organisation partners - The Australian Red Cross Society, UnitingCare, Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland. The State Government said people can also donate to GIVIT which has an ongoing partnership with the Queensland Government.

“I strongly encourage everyone if they can to dig deep and donate what they can,” Mr Macfarlane said. 

To help with the appeal click www.qld.gov.au/emergency/emergencies-services/help-disaster

THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) is calling on the Queensland Parliament to emphatically reject the Greens’ "destructive and reckless proposal to ban mining in the Galilee Basin".

In a joint submission with the Queensland Mining and Energy Division of the CFMEU, the QRC has identified the deep flaws in the Mineral Resources (Galilee Basin) Amendment Bill (Qld), which is currently being assessed by a Parliamentary committee.

“This is the Greens’ anti-resources tantrum 2.0,” QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said.

“Much like the similarly flawed bill before the Senate in the Federal Parliament, this proposal is counterproductive and counter to common sense.

“Not only would it fail to have any impact on changing global temperatures  - its stated intention – but its anti-resources agenda would also risk the jobs of the 316,000 Queenslanders who work in the industry and leave the Queensland budget in tatters. 

“There is a greater responsibility on the Queensland Parliament to emphatically reject this bill, given the State’s direct role in regulating and assessing resources projects.

“All Queensland resources projects go through a rigorous assessment process to balance economic, environmental and social impacts. This process includes extensive stakeholder consultation and public feedback.

“It is a process that serves Queensland well and ensures an ongoing pipeline of investment.

“Figures from the Office of the Chief Economist’s December update showed that if the six major coal projects in the Galilee Basin were to proceed they would create 13,900 construction jobs and 12,803 jobs during operations. 

“While anti-coal activists sneer at these jobs, they are an opportunity that regional Queenslanders are ready to grasp, especially given mining jobs are typically high-skilled and high-paying.

“The global demand for coal is strong, and coal is forecast to remain at about 40 percent of total power generation in the Asia Pacific by the year 2040 under a scenario modelled by the International Energy Agency.

“If the Greens’ bid to ban coal in Queensland was successful that would simply mean the demand for coal would be met from other countries with lower quality coal, which would in turn lead to higher emissions. Meanwhile, Queenslanders would miss out on the returns from royalty taxes which pay for teachers, nurses and police. 

“Without royalty taxes from the resources industry, the Queensland budget would be in the red to the tune of $4.6 billion.

“There is no magic source of money in Queensland.  The budget depends upon investment and production in the resources industry to fund new projects whether they be roads, schools or hospitals, or even to fund the Greens’ own proposal for a Queensland Public Infrastructure Bank.

“The bill proposes to rip up existing mining leases in the Galilee Basin. Not only would this trash Queensland’s reputation as a reliable place to invest, but it should send a chill through every industry in Queensland. 

“If the Greens are successful in destroying one lawful, responsible and regulated industry, they’ll simply shift their sights to the next target.

 “The Queensland resources industry is responsible and makes best use of planning and technology to ensure long-term sustainability for the environment. It works co-operatively with other sectors such as agriculture and tourism.

“Climate change is a global challenge and the resources industry is committed to being part of a the global solution, including through advances in technology, greater energy efficiency and supplying the high quality, low emissions resources that displace higher emissions products.

“This bill is the standard folly from the Greens, who have always shown a reckless disregard for jobs and regional communities.  The onus is on the rest of the Queensland Parliament to stand up for Queensland jobs and prosperity by emphatically ruling out this legislation and the ideas it proposes.”

www.qrc.org.au

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THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) said December trade figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) represents a reputable Christmas trade with a 2.75 percent total year-on-year growth in 2018, compared to 2.49 percent in 2017. 

While media commentary will inevitably focus on the -0.38 percent drop in month-on-month figures, Russell Zimmerman, executive director of the ARA, said retailers focus on the more representative year-on-year numbers, which more accurately reflect the seasonality of retail trading. 

Mr Zimmerman said although the ARA and Roy Morgan predicted a 2.9 percent increase in pre-Christmas sales from November 9 to December 24, 2018, the year-on-year figures released today are close to the estimated sales forecasted in November for December. 

“Although the month-on-month figures from the ABS display a conservative December trade, retailers tend to focus on year-on-year growth for a more concise depiction of how their stores are faring,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“Each year the ARA and Roy Morgan work together to produce the only professionally industry researched Christmas predictions in Australia, and we believe the figures released today are broadly in line with the figures forecasted in November.”

December saw the industry record impressive year-on-year growth across the Food retailing category at (3.98%), while Cafes, Restaurants and Takeaway (2.92%), Clothing (3.21%), Pharmacy/Cosmetics (5.03%) and Other retailing (7.84%) also showed a substantial increase. 

“Food retailing performed exceptionally well this season, with specialised food in particular posting a 3.1 percent year-on-year growth, while Other retailing proved to be the real standout for this month,” Mr Zimmerman said. 

“Pharmacy and Cosmetics was a real highlight in the December figures as expected, fragrances, bath and body products and cosmetics gifts proving popular again in the lead-up to Christmas.”

While department stores recorded a 0.53 percent year-on-year jump, weakness in the Electrical (-2.9%), Newspapers and Books (-6.31%) and Recreational Goods (-4.81%) categories were sobering. 

“Although these figures are disappointing, it is important to note that there are a variety of factors that have contributed to these soft figures, including the decrease in consumer sentiment caused by rising household costs and low wage growth, which continues to plague the industry and overall economy.” 

Across country, Tasmania (4.66%), the Australian Capital Territory (4.61%) and Victoria (4.50%) led the charge with the strongest year-on-year growth, while Queensland (3.47%), New South Wales (1.73%) and Western Australia (1.23%) recorded respectable growth. Unfortunately, South Australia (0.87%) was flat and the Northern Territory (-1.50%) received negative figures in December.

“Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland have remained fierce contenders across the States and Territories, showing consistent and reliable year-on-year growth for the 2018 calendar year,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“It is pleasing to see that Western Australia has shown its strongest year-on-year growth this month since July 2017, which is a promising preview for trade into 2019, while the upcoming New South Wales election may have also contributed to their results.”

On a bright note, the retail industry recorded an average year-on-year growth of 3 percent for the 2018 calendar year, compared to 2.76 percent for the previous year, on the back of a significant improvement for the apparel category.

“Despite the ominous commentary announced by multiple media outlets regarding a subdued Christmas trade, today’s figures prove that there has been reasonable growth across some categories,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“The consumer-led nature of the Australian retail sector signals the importance of strong, accurate leadership and the ARA is the only retail association constantly working to move retail forward.”

Monthly Retail Growth (November 2018 – December 2018 seasonally adjusted) 

Cafés, restaurants and takeaway food services (1.07%), Food retailing (0.53%), Other retailing (-0.10%), Department stores (-1.09%), Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (-2.36%) and Household goods retailing (-2.82%).

Western Australia (0.12%), Queensland (-0.15%), Tasmania (-0.16%), South Australia (-0.25%), Northern Territory (-0.35%), Victoria (-0.52%), New South Wales (-0.55%) and Australian Capital Territory (-1.80%).

Total sales (-0.38%).

Year-on-Year Retail Growth (December 2017 – December 2018 seasonally adjusted)

Other retailing (4.25%), Food retailing (3.98%), Cafés, restaurants and takeaway food services (2.92%), Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (2.38%), Department stores (0.53%), and Household goods retailing (-0.54%).

Tasmania (4.66%), Australian Capital Territory (4.61%), Victoria (4.50%), Queensland (3.47%), New South Wales (1.73%), Western Australia (1.23%), South Australia (0.87%), and Northern Territory (-1.50%).

Total sales (2.75%).

About the Australian Retailers Association:
Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is Australia’s largest retail association, representing the country’s $310 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. As Australia’s leading retail peak industry body, the ARA is a strong pro-active advocate for Australian retail and works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 7,500 independent and national retail members throughout Australia. For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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