Staff aboard Carnival Cruise Lines\u2019 Australian fleet of ships are being paid about a tenth of the minimum wage while allegedly working more than 10 hours a day, it has been alleged..<\/p>\n
The allegations have been levelled against the world\u2019s largest cruise line operator by the Sydney branch of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), who have called Carnival\u2019s treatment of staff some of the \u201cmost extreme labour exploitation ever seen in Australia\u201d.<\/p>\n
Branch organiser Shane Reside told 7NEWS Carnival<\/a> \u201cpreys\u201d on workers from underprivileged countries. An online MUA campaign claims they are paid as little as $2.50 per hour while aboard the Carnival Splendor, Encounter and Adventure.<\/p>\n Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe company flies in seafarers from some of the poorest economies on Earth into Sydney<\/a> and Brisbane<\/a>,\u201d Reside said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey join the ship, sail for a period anywhere between six months and 12 months ordinarily and then the conclusion of their contract, they drive them back to the airport and fly them home.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, while they\u2019re here in Australia, working on Australian home-ported vessels, along the Australian coast, with predominantly Australian passengers on board, they\u2019re getting paid wages commensurate with third-world economies.<\/p>\n \u201cSo it\u2019s like they\u2019re working in a hotel in Bali or Phuket, but floating along the Australian coast.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the workers are recruited and enter under a maritime crew visa allowing them to stay and work in Australia as long as they are employed or have an offer of employment from a ship\u2019s owner.<\/p>\n While earning more than the minimum wage rates in their home countries, workers face extreme conditions while on board including working for up to 300 hours per month (about twice as much as full-time employment hours).<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve heard stories of people working below deck for extremely long hours each day, often for months at a time,\u201d Reside said.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes people are not seeing daylight for months.\u201d<\/p>\n The limitations on visas also mean staff are often worried about raising concerns about their work conditions due to fears they would be unable to stay in Australia.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen they seek to complain or raise these issues, [they are] being told to shut up, accept it or they\u2019ll be moved on,\u201d Reside said.<\/p>\n Carnival is not bound by federal labour laws due to a section of the Coastal Trading Act which exempts cruise operators from a general licence, instead allowing them to take on a temporary licence.<\/p>\n The temporary licences are upheld by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts, and means the ships are considered international vessels instead of Australian.<\/p>\n Reside said the exemption is usually allowed for short stays in Australian waters, such as oil tankers, and not for cruise ships.<\/p>\n \u201cVessels like the three that Carnival [operate] are actually home-ported in Australia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cFor all intents and purposes they\u2019re Australian vessels, but they\u2019re exempted because of the loophole that the law creates for them.<\/p>\n \u201cThese vessels are right here in our backyard, and we consider that very much to be our responsibility.<\/p>\n \u201cThe MUA is not going to sit idly by and allow international seafarers to be exploited on our coast.\u201d<\/p>\n The government announced changes to the act following an independent review in 2024, adding stipulations which allow for the minister to cancel temporary licences.<\/p>\n However, the union<\/a> said more has to be done to protect crew on board Carnival ships.<\/p>\n Carnival responds to claims<\/p>\n Carnival Cruise Line told 7NEWS it is \u201caware\u201d of the MUA\u2019s campaign and the \u201cvulgar language they have used in making a range of unfounded accusations on social media\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not reflective of Carnival which, in contrast, has a culture of respect with its thousands of shipboard team members from over 150 countries who have been with us for 10, 20, 30, even 40+ years and have built successful careers and been able to provide for their families through the partnership we have developed,\u201d Carnival said.<\/p>\n \u201cCarnival shipboard wages meet and most often exceed International Maritime Organisation labour standards, and are supplemented by free housing, food, medical care, training, transportation and other benefits provided.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are proud of the fact that our retention rates lead the industry. In fact, more than 95 per cent of P&O Cruises Australia crew stayed on with CCL, when P&O folded into Carnival last March.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have created a workplace that respects and values our employees and creates career opportunities for tens of thousands of seafarers and hospitality members.\u201d<\/p>\n Carnival did not answer questions about how much it pays its crew or how much they are required to work per month.<\/p>\n 7NEWS.com.au contacted the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts for comment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hate speech crackdown explained as neo-Nazi group folds<\/p>\n 2 min read<\/p>\n