An industrial dispute onboard an Egyptian coal ship docked in Port Kembla has escalated as crew members accuse the ship’s owner of threatening their family members.
The Illawarra Mercury reports that the Wadi Alkarm has been docked off Wollongong since Thursday when 11 crew members refused to sail the ship.
They accuse the ship’s owner, Egyptian-owned National Navigation Co of halving their wages and prohibiting access to food and water between 7pm and 7am daily.
Four of the men agreed to be flown home, however seven crew members have refused to leave until they obtain their lost wages.
One crew member said the company had called his mother in Egypt and said they would "harm" him unless he flew home or agreed to continue sailing the ship.
"All the crew here are afraid," he said.
"We don't want to work, we want our rights and to go … to our home in Egypt."
Maritime Union of Australia branch secretary Gary Keane has been in contact with the men and said they were doubtful of promise by the company to have their wages paid sometime this week.
"These guys quite literally have no money in their pockets," Keane said.
Keane said National Navigation Co workers had been involved in a similar dispute in Gladstone earlier this year.
Keane said the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) needed to do more to ensure companies followed the 2006 Maritime Labour Convention.
An AMSA spokeswoman said the department was "working with the International Transport Workers' Federation and the ship's master and agent in relation to this issue".
"AMSA understands that all the crew in question will be paid tomorrow," she said.
"[The authority] understands that the remaining seven crew have opted to return to Egypt once payment is received."