The 38 crew of the Victorian ship MV Portland docked in Portland, in south-west Victoria, have refused to sail the vessel to Singapore on a one-way journey.
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) is demanding the Federal Government and aluminium producer Alcoa reverse a decision to sack the workers and allow a foreign-crewed ship take over its route between Western Australia and Victoria.
The MUA's Ian Bray said: “This ship carries product that is mined by Alcoa domestically, it is refined by Alcoa domestically, it is transported by Alcoa domestically and then it is smelted in Victoria by Alcoa domestically. There is no international component to this operation.”
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