Anti-Slavery Commissioner urges equal rights for foreign cruise crew under Australian law
Australia's Anti-Slavery Commissioner says crew on foreign-flagged cruise ships should receive the same protections as domestic workers, as a long-standing labour law exemption is set to expire.
Investigations have revealed that crew members on Carnival cruise ships operating in Australian waters face minimal wages, excessive hours and inadequate living conditions, prompting criticism from the Anti-Slavery Commissioner. Chris Evans said the existing exemption, which lets foreign-flagged vessels avoid the Fair Work Act, should not allow them to undercut Australian labour standards. Senator Tony Sheldon, who inspected a Carnival ship, reported that many workers earn less than $3 an hour and bear costs such as bottled water.
Carnival maintains that inspections by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority found no violations and that it complies with the Maritime Labour Convention. The exemption was originally introduced as a temporary measure in 1998 and has been renewed periodically. It is scheduled to expire in December, and Transport Minister Catherine King's office will decide whether to renew it after reviewing a report on the Coastal Trading Act.
Why it matters
The story could reshape labour protections for thousands of cruise ship workers and affect the Australian tourism economy.
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