Seaman’s suicide bid ‘tip of iceberg’: Hell on the water

By Noel Murphy
SUICIDE bids, beatings and bullying, unpaid wages, food and safety cuts are commonplace among overseas shipping crews visiting Geelong, according to a union official.
International Transport Workers Federation’s Matt Purcell told the Independent an attempted suicide in which a Filippino crew member was hospitalised after slashing his wrists late last month was just one in a string of abusive incidents.
The K-Coral bulk carrier crew member, repatriated to Manila after three days in hospital, was allegedly subjected to beatings and harassment, Mr Purcell said.
Other Filippino crew left the ship when it reached Newcastle after refusing to work, leaving the K-Coral stranded for several days.
“He slit his wrists at Geelong and was taken off the vessel,” Mr Purcell said.
“It would have been like a hell ship, the whole aggressive approach.
“It’s just lucky the ship was coming into port when it happened.
Mr Purcell said a federation investigation found “a few problems on board”.
“Our Geelong officer, Kevin O’Leary, visited and there were a few pay issues as well that had to be rectified.”
Mr Purcell said K-Coral crew members wrote to the federation, saying they were unprepared to continue working on the ship.
The federation secured an indemnity for them after the ship left Newcastle and safeguarded their redeployment within the Korean company, he said.
Mr Purcell said the K-Coral incident was one of a number to have involved Geelong recently.
“We recently had a captain removed from another ship who had been kicking and bashing crew. We finally got rid of him in New Zealand.
Mr Purcell said the federation had detected underpayments of $800,000 among international crews in the past year.
Three suspicious deaths among international crews in Australian waters in recent months were under investigation, he said.
Federation coordinator Dean summer said last week that three deaths in such a short time as “not natural”.
“These companies are making unprecedented profits and seafarers are suffering unprecedented casualties.”
* Anyone with emotional issues can phone Lifeline on 131 114.