MUA achieve agreement to get ship’s crew health checks
The NT Branch of the MUA has worked with the NT Government to ensure the safety of waterfront workers and ships crew.
The NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles has written to Branch Secretary Andy Burford to confirm that all ships crew coming into Darwin port will have health checks for COVID19 symptoms.
This arrangement has come about after the union raised serious concerns about the ships that come to Darwin Port being under 14 days steaming time from China the incubation period for COVID19. https://www.mua.org.au/news/darwin-three-foreign-vessels-dock-breach-coronavirus-quarantine
The latest border force regulations state that ships may come into ports however if the vessel arrives within 14-days from their last international port of call the following restrictions apply:
- All crew must remain on-board while the vessel is berthed in Australia.
- Crew are able to disembark to conduct essential vessel functions and crew must wear personal protective equipment (PPE) while performing these functions.
- Crew should restrict their interaction with non-crew members to those interactions that are critical to the safe operation and loading/unloading of the vessel.
- Crew must also use PPE in public spaces on board the vessel while non-crew members are on-board.
“This is a significant win for the union to ensure that all our members are protected” Assistant National Secretary Warren Smith Said
