Exhibition exposes ships of shame
By Ana Kailis
and Claudia Beltran
PERTH — The Global Mariner exhibition is an awesome multimedia display of issues facing seafarers worldwide. The ship Global Mariner was purchased by the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and the exhibition established as part of its international campaign against "flag of convenience" ships, which threaten human and union rights and the environment. The ship was berthed at Fremantle from July 28 to August 1.
The exhibition shows the voracious and exploitative impact of global capitalism on workers and the environment. The berths and hull of the Global Mariner contain huge photographic installations of seafarers who haven't been paid for months and the appalling sanitary conditions on flag of convenience ships.
Accompanied by interactive technology, short films and industrial sound recordings, the exhibition is powerful.
The ITF has stepped up its campaign against flag of convenience and other substandard ships because these vessels are becoming more prevalent. Workers' rights and industrial standards in the shipping industry have plummeted.
More shipowners are using flags of convenience to cut costs and evade national laws and unions. The shipowners can evade repairs and compensation claims if the ships sink or workers are injured, and are able to pay workers a fraction of the usual rate because the ship is carrying the flag of an impoverished nation.
In 1995, the Indonesian radio officer of the Panamanian ship Glory Cape died in Australian waters when he and four other crew members who were beaten with iron bars jumped overboard. The case was not investigated in either Australia, Indonesia or Panama; the company avoided any legal liability.
The exhibition also highlights how workers are black-listed from the industry if they stand up for their rights. The ITF has compiled a list of such workers, and a section of the exhibition is dedicated to black-listed seafarers from the Philippines.
The Global Mariner exhibition also displays the heroic struggles of seafarers organising, against enormous obstacles, for their rights. Many Russian dockworkers and seafarers, for example, have had to take industrial action over many months to receive back pay and enter into collective bargaining agreements. Their action has resulted in significant improvements in general conditions for Russian maritime workers.
The Global Mariner began its journey from London in July 1998. It has visited Europe, North America, South America, the Caribbean, Russia, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.
From Fremantle, the ship will travel to Indonesia, the Indian subcontinent, Africa, the Middle East, southern Europe and then back to London. This tour is expected to be completed in February 2000, and the ITF is hoping to find a permanent location for the exhibition.