Millions in Wages Stolen at Sydney Terminals
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has exposed systematic wage theft involving millions of dollars from taxpayer funds in the New South Wales cruise industry. The theft occurred at publicly owned passenger terminals at Sydney Harbour, including Circular Quay and White Bay, according to an announcement on 13th April.
Shane Reside, MUA Sydney Branch Organiser, stated, “We believe that millions of dollars in wages have been systematically stolen by criminal security companies working under contract to the NSW State Government in the International Cruise Terminals of Sydney Harbour, including at Circular Quay and White Bay. The seedy underbelly of this industry is truly staggering.”
The Port Authority of NSW, which oversees security at these terminals, had outsourced its responsibilities to Certis, a Singaporean state-owned multinational. After receiving whistleblower reports almost 12 months ago, the MUA began investigating the situation.
Reside said, “After receiving whistleblower reports almost 12 months ago, the MUA has been relentlessly digging through layer after layer of shady outsourced contractors performing security at the international passenger cruise terminals. Every layer is worse than the last, and right at the very bottom you have ordinary, working class people being robbed of their hard-earned pay.”
Fair Work Ombudsman Investigation
The Fair Work Ombudsman, brought in by the MUA, confirmed that the subcontracting breached the contract between Certis and the Port Authority. Of the five subcontractors, three were found guilty of wage theft, one has gone into liquidation, and another is untraceable, avoiding investigation.
Reside emphasised, “We all know that workers in the security industry in NSW are overwhelmingly drawn from migrant, working class communities. It is an absolute disgrace that these people are being robbed by criminal outfits employed under contract to the NSW State Government.”
MUA Sydney Branch Secretary Paul Keating stated, “The question we should really be asking ourselves is what else is happening in the international passenger cruise terminals in Sydney Harbour? There is not one, not two, but five separate shady outfits that have been pulling people off the street, giving them a security uniform and sending them down to manage an international border arrival point.”
Keating urged government intervention to prevent future occurrences of wage theft. He questioned whether the current administration will take decisive action against the involved multinational contractors, highlighting the broader implications for border security.
As a result of these findings, the MUA is calling for stricter regulations and oversight in the contracting processes at the international passenger cruise terminals. They aim to ensure that workers are paid fairly and that there is accountability in the management of these critical infrastructure sites.
Last updated: 14 April 2026, 9:04 am
