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The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) has “condemned” carrier representative Shipping Australia Limited (SAL) for meddling in the country’s docker’s dispute.
Ongoing contract negotiations between unions and employers had broken down, however, talks resumed this week, and the unions have agreed to cease protected industrial action (PIA) at all Australian ports, from 15 January, as a result.
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), an ITF affiliate, and a division of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU), will resume negotiations with conglomerate Qube, which owns a number of logistics businesses, including Patrick terminals.
SAL has called on Canberra to change regulations to prevent unions from “holding the entire nation to ransom”.
An ITF spokesperson hit back at SAL, claiming: ““The ITF condemns SAL for meddling in the Qube dispute and undermining collective bargaining. SAL’s actions harm Australia’s national interests and maritime workforce.”
SAL has called for staggered scheduling of strike action, “varied both by company and, for a large company, staggered by geographical location.”
This would prevent disruption to all the country’s trade at the same time, according to SAL.
“We also call for shorter, fixed, bargaining periods with an automatic referral to the Fair Work Commission for determination and settlement of disputes if the parties cannot reach an agreement,” added SAL.
Moreover, SAL wants government to legislate for longer notice periods ahead of industrial action, extending the notice from three days to 21 days, to allow cargo shipped from southeast Asia to arrive and be discharged from port.
The extended notice would allow “carriers, shippers, and Australian importers and exporters to work around disruptions,” said SAL.
In conclusion SAL has asked that government prohibits secondary union action taken in support of workers in dispute with their employer.
The ITF was unmoved and SAL and its members to focus on shipping’s challenges: “Instead of interfering in domestic policy, SAL should put its energy into helping address international shipping’s real problems: tax avoidance, rogue operators exploiting seafarers, and the Flag of Convenience system that gives rise to dark and shadow fleets that are undermining the global maritime industry's integrity.”
Neither Qube nor the unions have commented on the resumption of talks.
