Port Botany MUA strike: Medical companies pay so surgeries can proceed

One medical company says it could soon be out of medication used in cases of heart surgery due to the wharfies go-slow and it is now taking expensive action to ensure surgery capacity is not “compromised.”

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Medical companies pleading for an end to industrial action at a major Sydney port are now paying congestion fees and expensive airfreight to ensure Australia’s surgery capacity is not “compromised” by the union standoff.

The drastic move by industry to ensure supply has come despite the Maritime Union of Australia and senior Labor figures Ged Kearney and Joel Fitzgibbon insisting there has been no holdup of medicines.

Union members have had one four-hour stop work meeting, as well as enforcing a ban on working overtime or acting up into senior roles, which port operator Patrick has pointed to for the delays.

On Wednesday the MUA declared it would accept a 2.5 per cent wage increase instead of 6 per cent for the next 12 months ahead of a conciliation meeting at the Fair Work Commission.

The Medical Technology Association of Australia has warned the federal government that some of their members were “experiencing sig­nificant impacts on their supply chain” they say is a “result” of activity by the MUA.

In a letter, seen by The Daily Telegraph, the MTAA said one member — referred to as “company 3” — was facing a “potential out-of-stock situation” that would have “serious implications for heart surgery cases”.

Workers on the docks at Port Botany continue to unload containers from the ships docked at the wharf. Picture: Toby Zerna

“At best it will be a costly exercise, at worst this will result in compromising surgical capacity,” the MTAA said.

In another case, a medical supplier referred to as “company 1” was scrambling to distribute its goods after 19 containers bound for Port Botany ended up having to go to Port Melbourne.

“Company 2” has said it faces “long-lasting ramifications” as a result of delays at Port Botany, and has been advised of an extra cost of $300 per unit “under the guise of a port congestion charge”.

“Company 5” had “multiple instances” of ships being redirected to Melbourne.

“The delays are about three weeks, and one of the products was urgent as they are now out of stock,” the MTAA said.

Patrick Terminals chief Michael Jovicic said he had not been contacted by pharmaceutical companies.