Patrick Terminals is seeking to end decades of union conditions and controls over its workforce in the face of a two-year bargaining stand-off, potentially forcing hundreds of wharfies on to the industry minimum.

The stevedore applied to the Fair Work Commission on Tuesday to terminate its agreement with the Maritime Union of Australia on the basis the deal was “no longer fit for purpose” and restricted its ability to meet customer needs at a time of huge strain on supply chains due to the pandemic.