ANL: “AUSTRALIAN SEAFARERS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE”

ANL: “AUSTRALIAN SEAFARERS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE”

ANL: “AUSTRALIAN SEAFARERS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE”

   ANL Container Lines, the Australian-based shipping line owned by France’s CMA CGM group, said that Australian seafarers are too expensive to employ on ships that trade in international container trades.

   “In respect to the international container shipping trades, it is regrettable that due to the current competitive environment, cost structures and the need for flexible deployment of vessels, it is not possible to employ Australian seafarers,” the company said.

   ANL announced last Friday the withdrawal of the “OOCL Australia,” a ship crewed by Australian officers and seafarers, effective Aug. 3.

   The officers and crew on the vessel, employed by ASP Ship Management, have accepted a negotiated redundancy payment, ANL said.

   However, ANL said that it supports the employment of Australian seafarers on the Australian domestic coastal trade. ANL is employing Australian seafarers for its Melbourne to Bell Bay service, and is currently studying the introduction of another coastal service which would be manned by Australians.