Patrick-MUA standoff: Truckies tell wharfies to stop ‘squabbling’

Truckies say consumers will ultimately pay for the prolonged industrial dispute on our wharves.

The go-slow action has affected Melbourne, Port Botany, Brisbane and Fremantle.

Truckies have branded the continued industrial action from their wharfie colleagues at ports around Australia as an act of “self interest” that consumers will ultimately pay for.

Victorian Transport Association (VTA) chief executive Peter Anderson said the stand-off between Patrick Stevedores and Maritime Union of Australia was harming the national economy and further disrupting supply chains, which COVID-19 had “up-ended”.

Mr Anderson called for an “attitude of reason” rather than the “squabbling and disagreement” that plagued the country’s docks.

“Our economy and our communities are desperately trying to survive a pandemic that is pushing our economy towards a deep recession,” Mr Anderson said.

“Hundreds of thousands of Australians are out of work and have little short-term prospects of finding a job, yet we have squabbling and disagreement in a sector that has been fortunate enough to maintain near full employment on above-average wages.

“Ultimately, it is freight customers and ordinary consumers who will wear the consequences of industrial action in the form of higher prices. The cost of carting thousands of containers by road or rail to Sydney from other ports will inevitably be passed on throughout the supply chain, which ultimately will be reflected in higher prices consumers will have to pay.”

MUA Sydney branch secretary Paul McAleer said last week the union had made an ambit claim in seeking a 6 per cent annual pay rise during negoti­ations with Patrick — which has triggered the go-slow action at Port Botany, Melbourne, Brisbane and Fremantle — but would be satisfied with a 2.5 per cent increase.

Victorian Transport Association chief executive officer Peter Anderson.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison labelled the MUA’s action as “effectively engaging in a campaign of extortion against the Australian people”, while Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter said the union was placing “the supply chains of very important goods that Australians rely on in serious jeopardy”, a claim denied by MUA leadership.

On Friday, the FairWork Commission suspended all protected industrial action until it could determine the matter.

It is not the first time the VTA and MUA have been at odds with one another. Three years ago the VTA accused the MUA of holding consumers to ransom over the union’s then dispute with the Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT).

“The world is changing around us, but unfortunately the MUA want to maintain the old attitudes and methods. Brutal and Neanderthal in their actions and selfish in their intent,” Mr Anderson said at the time.

“This type of disruption, at this time of year, takes the industrial relations environment back 25 years. The adverse effect will be felt by people and families that have nothing to do with the MUA political agenda.”

On Monday, Mr Anderson accused the union of standing in the way of Patrick’s attempt to make the wharves more efficient. “The plans by the stevedores is to automate, and this is what the MUA don’t want. This is about automation, not ‘I want better conditions for my straddle drivers’.

“The stevedores have got plans to be more efficient, more productive and contribute in a much greater way to the growth of the economy of Australia than what they are currently doing.”

Paddy Crumlin, MUA national secretary. Picture: John Feder

The MUA attempted to make a peace offer late last week, proposing to extend the rollover period of the existing workplace agreement to two years and “industry standard” 2.5 per cent a year pay rises.

“The company rejected that offer, even when we offered to extend it for two years, instead insisting that workers either accept a massive increase to the use of casual, rather than permanent workers, or pay rises well below the industry standard,” MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin said.

“We will not accept a highly profitable company using the cover of the COVID crisis to strip away the job security of productive, hardworking wharfies.”