TUGBOAT master strikes are extending to the west coast. The Australian Maritime Officers Union has given notice of industrial action at the ports of Fremantle, Kwinana, Albany and Geraldton, starting later this week.
These announcements come after the union gave notice of strikes at the east coast ports of Brisbane, Cairns, Newcastle and Sydney.
At Fremantle, the AMOU announced Svitzer tugboat masters would stop work for 48 hours starting at 0700 on 24 Feb, and then again for 48 hours starting on 3 March.
And for Kwinana, the union announced two work stoppages of 48 hours, one starting on 19 February and the second starting on 23 February.
Also, for both ports, there will be an indefinite ban on AMOU members with Svitzer performing recall and relief work during a period of leave starting on 18 February.
And in Albany, AMOU members employed by Svitzer will stop work for four hours from 0700 on 24 and 25 February and on 3 and 4 March.
The Maritime Union of Australia also gave notice of a strike at Albany – a four-hour stoppage from 0900 on 18 February.
And at Geraldton, there will an indefinite ban on AMOU members performing recall and relief work during a period of leave from 0700am on 18 February.
Previously, the union has said the strikes are in pursuit of a new enterprise agreement to replace the one that expired on 31 December 2019.
Svitzer said the industrial action was an attempt to put pressure on the company to rescind its application to the Fair Work Commission to terminate the current EBA with the AMOU and the other two maritime unions, the MUA and AIMPE.
Below is a list of all work stoppages announced for Svitzer in the coming weeks. All industrial action is for AMOU members unless otherwise noted.
Brisbane
48-hour stoppage from 0600 on 17 February to 0600 on 19 February
72-hour stoppage from 0600 on 22 February to 0600 on 25 February
Newcastle
48-hour stoppage from 0600 on 17 February to 0600 on 19 February
48-hour stoppage from 0600am 22 February to 0600 on Thursday 24 February
Ban on employees performing relief work for an unlimited duration from 06:00 on 16 February
Port Botany and Port Jackson
48-hour stoppage from 00:01 on 17 February to 00:01 on 19 February
48-hour stoppage from 00:01 on 22 to 00:01 on 24 February
Cairns
Ban on employees performing relief work for an unlimited duration from 06:00am on Thursday 17 February
Fremantle
48-hour stoppage from 0700 on 24 February to 0700 on 19 February
48-hour stoppage from 0700 on 3 March to 0700 on 5 March
A ban on employees performing recall and relief work during a period of leave for an unlimited duration from 0700 on 18 February
Kwinana
48-hour stoppage from 0700 on 19 February to 0700 on 21 February
48-hour stoppage from 0700 on 23 February to 0700 on 25 February
A ban on workers performing recall and relief work during a period of leave for an unlimited duration from 0700 on 18 February
Albany
4-hour stoppage from 0700 on 24 and 25 February, as well as 3 and 4 March
4-hour stoppage by MUA members from 0900 on 18 February
Geraldton
A ban on employees performing recall and relief work during a period of leave for an unlimited duration from 0700 on 18 February