THE MARITIME Union of Australia (MUA) has announced Australian wharfies will strike across ten ports in an “International Day of Action” against Qube Ports.
The Union revealed the event is in response to the ongoing stalled negotiations between the two parties over a new employment agreement, accusing the port operator of refusing to bargain genuinely.
Wharfies participating in the work stoppages will be joined by representatives of the international dockers movement via live video conferences across the country, the MUA confirmed.
The MUA said Qube are avoiding serious safety, fatigue, and work-life balance concerns during bargaining for a new employment agreement that covers more than 1000 workers.
In particular the union criticised Qube’s rostering system, which it said leaves wharfies exhausted.
“Qube wharfies find out at 4pm each day if they’re required to work the next day, and face the prospect of up to 20 different shift start times each day on shifts between 7 and 12 hours,” the MUA statement said.
“Workers are regularly required to work within 8 hours of the conclusion of the last shift, leaving wharfies exhausted on the job as they get thrown from evening shifts to day shifts and back again at the whim of roster managers.”
A spokesperson for Qube spoke to DCN regarding the roster, saying “Hard working union members must be scratching their heads wondering why, with just over a week to Christmas, the CFMEU continues to put more effort into press releases, name calling and abuse rather than resolving enterprise agreement negotiations”.
“Qube’s rostering arrangements reflect industry norms and the reality that vessel arrival times are themselves often only confirmed the day prior because weather conditions, port congestion and other factors outside of Qube’s control all impact arrival and departure times.
“Wherever possible, we try to give stevedores, who work an average of 35 hours a week, as much advance notice of their roster as we can, however flexible rostering reflects the nature of the work and the industry, and this is factored into remuneration arrangements, noting that Qube stevedores paid around 137% over the Award, on average.”
Warren Smith, deputy national secretary of the MUA said Qube’s objective was to trigger intractable bargaining provisions, in order to avoid participating in genuine negotiation.
“Their end goal is to get an arbitrated outcome which they believe will be better for the bottom line than what they can manage with their own negotiators around the bargaining table,” Mr Smith said.
The stalled negotiations may have international implications; Maritime Union of New Zealand national secretary Carl Findlay said NZ wharfies would be supporting the MUA, with delegates heading across the Tasman in both directions, and protest events to be held in NZ ports.
“Qube is now operating in New Zealand ports, and Qube management need to be aware their actions in Australia will have consequences for their international brand and credibility unless they change their attitude towards their workforce,” Mr Findlay said.
On the ongoing strikes, Qube commented, “The fact that the CFMEU don’t seem to understand this must be deeply concerning to the workers they purport to represent, many of whom are growing increasingly frustrated as they watch their work go to our competitors while the union stonewalls EA negotiations”.
In late November this year, the MUA had warned that it anticipated 10 Australian ports to be engaged in industrial action by Christmas time.
