HK-flagged ship called a floating sweatshop

Chinese crew earning as little as US$300 a month, union claims

Marine officials are investigating a Hong Kong-registered ship operating off the coast of Australia which has been dubbed a 'slave ship' for employing cheap immigrant Chinese labour.

The inquiry was launched after a Chinese sailor aboard the Destiny Queen, owned by Hong Kong-based Destiny Shipping, had to be evacuated by helicopter after suffering injuries to his face.

The ship's owners have hit back against 'bigoted and biased attacks' by Australian unions that it was illegally exploiting cheap Chinese labour in Australia to grow abalone on the ship to sell directly back to Hong Kong for a fat profit.

The 120-metre, 65-tonne ship has been under close scrutiny by Australian unions, who are furious that all but four of the vessel's Australian crew were dismissed last September and replaced with much cheaper Chinese sailors and Ukrainian officers and engineers.

Suspicions have increased because the ship's owners have refused to publicly say how much its sailors are being paid, and it is believed that some of the Chinese crew are earning as little as US$300 a month.

The ship operates in the Spencer Gulf off the coast of South Australia. Union attempts to inspect it, amid fears cheap Chinese labour is being used to undercut Australian workers, are being resisted.