MARITIME union members rallied in Raymond Terrace on Friday to voice their “disgust” at the forcible removal last week of five workers from a ship docked in Newcastle.
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About 40 people, many carrying Maritime Union of Australia flags, gathered outside the office of the federal member for Paterson, Bob Baldwin, on Friday morning.
“The government is out of touch with how the amount of job losses are affecting lives and how tough families are doing it,” Newcastle Trades Hall Council secretary Daniel Wallace said.
It is the second time in seven months union members have protested outside Mr Baldwin’s office to voice concerns about the job cuts in the transport, mining, maritime and trade sectors.
Friday’s protest was focused on the incident in Newcastle on February 5 where police removed Australian crew members on board the the bulk alumina carrier CSL Melbourne.
The CSL Melbourne dispute flared after the ship was no longer needed to take alumina from Gladstone to Newcastle and its owners put it on international duty, replacing its Australian crew with a foreign crew in Singapore.
A crew member of the CSL Melbourne spoke to the crowd on Friday, saying he was “embarrassed” that police were called in to remove Australian workers.
Union members also had a sit down meeting with Mr Baldwin on Friday.
Jimmy Kuzic, from Medowie, joined the protest to have his voice as an Aboriginal seafarer heard.
“I’ve been out of a job for three months,” Mr Kuzic said.
“I’m struggling to pay my mortgage.
“As an Indigenous seafarer, and there’s not many of us, I’m here to make a stand and get some answers about why in this day and age is it so hard to get work.”
Mr Wallace said the cuts to the shipping industry not only affected Port Stephens seafarers, but also potentially those who work at Tomago Aluminium.
“The shipping industry is important to this area,” he said.
“The CSL Melbourne supplied aluminium to Tomago.”
