MUA Takes Vitol to Fair Work

The Tandara Spirit crew The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has taken multi-billion dollar Swiss energy company Vitol to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) over its alleged decision to fire the MUA members working on board the product tanker Tandara Spirit.  The FWC will also hear the company’s application for Orders that the MUA no longer participate in unprotected industrial action, by allegedly refusing to refuel the vessel to prevent it from leaving Australian waters a move that the MUA fears would result in the termination of the jobs of the entire crew in the process. Vitol which trades locally as Viva Energy is a private AUD 300 billion (USD 260.1bn) oil trading company that bought Shells downstream business in Australia for AUD 2.9 billion (USD 2.51bn) three months ago. The union was informed by Teekay last week that Vitol will “hand back the Tandara Spirit in January 2015,”  yet according to the MUA Vitol planned for the vessel to leave Australia in two days, leaving the Australian crew of 36 stranded in Singapore. The MUA is alleging a lack of consultation and has filed a submission in Fair Work Australia to halt the intentions of the company. There is also an MOU between the MUA and Shell, which is being ignored, the MUA reports. “Just three months after buying the Australian petroleum business, Vitol is stealthily sacking the Australian crew and undermining Australian fuel security and coastal trade,” MUA Assistant National Secretary Warren Smith said. “Vitol is trying to dump the Australian crew without telling anyone and it’s not on. The members are angry, the union is angry and the community is angry – we want to ensure Australian cargo is carried around the coast by Australian seafarers. We should be beefing up our fuel security not opening it up to the whims of multi-national corporations where profits will come before the best interests of the Australian public.” With the closure of Caltexs Kurnell refinery and Shells Clyde refinery in Sydney and planned closures by BP in Brisbane, Australia now imports 91 per cent of its petrol and diesel by foreign tankers – up from 60 per cent in 2000. There are currently 5 MUA–crewed tankers that operate domestically servicing refineries but these jobs may disappear as domestic refineries close. Two of those ships are under immediate and imminent threat of removal from the coast, the MUA has warned. Press Release