THE MUA will begin another campaign of industrial action against Smit Lamnalco, with 10 days of stoppages effectively crippling the SL-operated Great Barrier Reef ETV Reef Keeper from Monday [20 January].

SL MD Australia & PNG David Fethers told DCN the latest strike, which is due to begin at 0001 hours, means the Great Barrier Reef will be left without its critical safety net during the shutdown period.

“This not only compromises the environmental integrity of the reef but also undermines Australia’s international obligations to protect this iconic natural asset,” Mr Fethers said.

He pointed out that this action comes despite over 12 months of negotiations between SL and the MUA without a resolution:  “During this time, we have offered an immediate 9% pay increase, which we believe is generous and sustainable.

“However, the MUA is demanding a 19% increase in the first year of the enterprise agreement – a figure that far exceeds industry benchmarks. A further demand includes overtime to be paid on top of wages for any period worked more than 8 hours.

“The situation escalated just before Christmas 2024, when the MUA notified and commenced a 7-day stoppage. That action ran for 5 days before the MUA capitulated, ending the stoppage without achieving their demands,” Mr Fethers said.

When the union announced the first round of PIA, in mid-December, it claimed the crew of Reef Keeper had been put “in an impossible position” by SL, which won the current EV contract (that commenced in July) “by under-cutting the previous contract holder and now seek(ing) to strip away the crews’ long held and hard fought-for employment conditions.

“The MUA is fighting to retain crucial conditions of employment and shipboard living conditions for the skilled and professional crewmembers who spend long periods at sea aboard the vessel,” said Assistant Branch Secretary, Dave Lyon.

“This is an absolute assault on the working conditions of a skilled, committed and hard-working team of seafarers by a global tugboat company that wants to treat local workers appallingly. The company has put us in a position where we have no choice but to take industrial action, because our efforts at good faith bargaining have been sunk by SL’s managers,” Mr Lyon said at the time.

“The Barrier Reef and our northern waters are being put in danger by this multinational company’s race to the bottom on wages, safety, fatigue management and crew living standards.”

Mr Lyon is currently on annual leave but confirmed the latest PIA.

SL is also embroiled in an EBA dispute with masters and engineers employed on the company’s Gladstone tugs, where PIA began yesterday [14 January].