1,000 signatures reached
To: Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs & Tim Pallas, Treasurer of Victoria
Exploiting workers, supporting dictators - investigate ICTSI now!
Should a company that does business with dictators and sanctioned regimes implicated in crimes against humanity and genocide, and who exploits workers in port after port, deliberately prioritising countries where human and labour rights are most at vulnerable have a contract to operate in Australia?
We demand Federal and State enquiries into the awarding of the contract won by International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) to operate the third container terminal in Melbourne.
We demand Federal and State enquiries into the awarding of the contract won by International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) to operate the third container terminal in Melbourne.
Why is this important?
The concerning global business practices of one of the world’s fastest growing and most profitable multinational port companies International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) has sparked protests around the world.
We’re talking about a company whose international reputation and business model is built off exploiting workers and their families, crippling the communities in which they operate and partnering with dictatorships.
It is a fact that at the time the contract was awarded in Australia, ICTSI was in business with the Government of Sudan – while both the UN and US had placed sanctions on doing business with the regime.
The President of Sudan was then – and still is today – wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.
And from day one, ICTSI imported its aggressive anti-worker business model that they have run out all over the world to Australia.
We’re asking you to join with us and demand an enquiry into ICTSI license to operate in Australia that asks:
• How did a company with the international reputation that ICTSI holds, ever eligible, or even short-listed, to win a tender to operate critical port infrastructure in Australia?
• What consideration was given to ICTSI’s dealings with anti-democratic and international sanctioned regimes, like the Al-Bashir regime in Sudan in the due diligence process?
• Did the previous Liberal Victorian Government consult with relevant Commonwealth security agencies considering the relationship between ICTSI and the Government of Sudan?
• How did ICTSI satisfy “community benchmarks” given its appalling international reputation when it was awarded the tender to operate the VICT terminal at Webb Dock in Melbourne?
It is time for both levels of government to investigate ICTSI and reassure the public that this deal does not compromise our international obligations and meets the strictest of security standards.
We’re talking about a company whose international reputation and business model is built off exploiting workers and their families, crippling the communities in which they operate and partnering with dictatorships.
It is a fact that at the time the contract was awarded in Australia, ICTSI was in business with the Government of Sudan – while both the UN and US had placed sanctions on doing business with the regime.
The President of Sudan was then – and still is today – wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.
And from day one, ICTSI imported its aggressive anti-worker business model that they have run out all over the world to Australia.
We’re asking you to join with us and demand an enquiry into ICTSI license to operate in Australia that asks:
• How did a company with the international reputation that ICTSI holds, ever eligible, or even short-listed, to win a tender to operate critical port infrastructure in Australia?
• What consideration was given to ICTSI’s dealings with anti-democratic and international sanctioned regimes, like the Al-Bashir regime in Sudan in the due diligence process?
• Did the previous Liberal Victorian Government consult with relevant Commonwealth security agencies considering the relationship between ICTSI and the Government of Sudan?
• How did ICTSI satisfy “community benchmarks” given its appalling international reputation when it was awarded the tender to operate the VICT terminal at Webb Dock in Melbourne?
It is time for both levels of government to investigate ICTSI and reassure the public that this deal does not compromise our international obligations and meets the strictest of security standards.