MASTERS AND ENGINEERS employed on Smit Lamnalco tugs in Gladstone are vowing to proceed with protected industrial action on Tuesday [14 January] pending a possible hearing by the Fair Work Commission.

AMOU acting executive officer Tracey Ellis today said SL had filed a bargaining dispute with the FWC in an effort to resolve things, and the unions were waiting for the Commission to list the matter. But she claimed SL had made no other attempt to “resolve the outstanding issues with us”.

“The masters and engineers in Gladstone are exercising their right to take protected industrial action to stop SL stops using a loophole in Marine Order 504 to schedule them to work over 17 hours in a 24-hour period,” Ms Ellis said. 

“SL are deflecting from the actual safety issues we are trying to address by running a scare campaign about non-union operators and a co-op model. Engage Marine, the alleged ‘non-union operator’, sat down with the maritime unions this week to discuss an enterprise agreement for the ports of Cairns, Townsville, Mourilyan and Lucinda. Engage Marine only schedule their crews to work up to 14 hours in 24 at their Bowen towage operations.”

Sam Littlewood, AIMPE national organiser, said the industrial action is in support of “improving conditions to ensure there is predictability in crew start and finish times, and also predictability for periods of rest while on duty. None of the notified action will have the effect of stopping towage being conducted in the port.”

The unions first detailed the proposed PIA on Wednesday [8 January].

David Fethers, MD Australia & PNG for of Smit Lamnalco Integrated Management System, again put the company’s position to DCN:

“Our Masters and Engineers are currently paid an annual salary of $224,000 which puts them in the top 3% of Australian wage earners. This is for a 26-week working year. During those 26 working weeks they attend the workplace on average under 7 hours per day. On top of this they are paid generous superannuation contributions of 15.5%.

“An 8.5% increase that the unions are looking for would equate to an annual increase of $19,000. We are currently offering a 3.75% increase which is above both CPI and WPI, and equates to an annual $8,400 pay rise,” Mr Fethers said.

“They keep forgetting to mention we already agreed to and they already received a 7.7% increase in 2024.”