The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) insists that any financial assistance package being offered by state and federal governments to Alcoa’s Portland Smelter involves a commitment by the company to Australian coastal shipping.
The Age newspaper today reported that: “Alcoa’s Portland’s aluminium smelter has all but struck a generous new electricity supply deal with energy giant AGL, ensuring the troubled plant is likely to stay open”.
The newspaper said an in-principle deal was struck following a 12-hour meeting on Sunday involving Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas, Alcoa and energy supplier AGL.
This follows the offer of about $240 million in state and federal assistance made to the company in December to help cover the costs of a power outage that caused masses of aluminium to cool and solidify, plus ensure lower cost power into the future.
MUA Assistant National Secretary Ian Bray said the MUA has met with the Victorian Government, including the Treasurer, on multiple occasions to discuss coastal shipping and the Portland smelter.
Bray welcomed the involvement of Mr Pallas, Premier Daniel Andrews and Federal Industry Minister Greg Hunt in trying to protect hundreds of jobs at the plant in Victoria’s south-west but said more needs to be done.
“Today’s announcement is good news for workers at the smelter but it doesn’t go far enough – guaranteeing the jobs of Australian seafarers must be part of any ongoing solution for the Portland smelter,” Bray said.
“It is almost one year to the day since five crewmembers aboard Alcoa ship the MV Portland were woken at 1am by up to 30 security guards, handed their passports and forcibly removed from the vessel.
“The MV Portland was replaced by foreign vessels, including Flags of Convenience (FOC’s) using often-exploited workers on very low rates of pay.
“Despite a commitment by the company to re-visit the use of an Australian vessel after 12 months, nothing has been done and governments must ensure these 40 Australian seafarers get their jobs back.
“The Turnbull Government granted the company a temporary license on an exclusively domestic route between Western Australia and the smelter in Portland.
“The MV Portland had plied that route for 27 years. Temporary licenses are intended for predominantly foreign trading ships that call into more than one Australian port for a temporary period.
“Australians have a right to work jobs in their own country and to be treated with respect by an employer profiting off the minerals that belong to the Australian people.
