Strikes a threat to vital defence work, says navy chief Mark Hammond

Australia’s Chief of Navy Mark Hammond has warned industrial action by unions poses a threat to the AUKUS submarine program and critical shipbuilding projects.

Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond. Picture: Martin Ollman / NewsWire

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Australia’s Chief of Navy has warned industrial action by unions poses a threat to the AUKUS submarine program and critical shipbuilding projects, calling on the Labor Party’s industrial wing to moderate its demands in the ­interest of national security.

In an article published by the US Naval Institute, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond said he was also concerned that the education system was not turning out enough science, technology, engineering and mathematics-qualified trades­people to deliver the submarines and ships Australia needs on-time and on-budget.

Admiral Hammond said strike action “often disrupts construction and sustainment activities”, in a key challenge to the nation’s shipbuilding plans.

“The right to industrial action is a cornerstone of our Western liberal democratic values,” he said. “However, we need to strike a better balance between maintaining the rights and protections of workers and delivering capabilities vital to national security.”

The article follows prolonged industrial action at government-owned submarine builder ASC, which contributed to an availability crisis late last year in which just one of the navy’s Collins-class boats was able to put to sea.

The challenge to the union movement has a political dimension, with Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy drawing factional support from the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, which represents most of the nation’s shipbuilders. Mr Conroy declined to comment on Admiral Hammond’s critique.

A Collins-class submarine undergoes maintenance at Western Australia’s Henderson Marine Complex.

The navy chief said the shortage of STEM-qualified tradespeople was “a national problem with roots in education, and its solution must involve inspiring the current and next generations of Australian students to undertake STEM and trade studies”.

He said the government was taking a whole-of-nation approach to addressing the workforce challenge by allocating 4000 new government-supported university places in STEM fields and establishing training and employment pathway programs in key states.

Under the $368bn AUKUS plan, Australia is due to receive at least three Virginia-class submarines from the US from the early-2030s and will start building a new fleet of AUKUS-class boats in Adelaide, with the first due for delivery in the early 2040s.

The nation’s shipbuilding workforce will also have to deliver at least six Hunter-class frigates from the early 2030s, as well as a planned new fleet of 11 general-purpose frigates.

“The mission is clear: build and sustain naval vessels and capabilities to secure Australia’s access to the sea, which underwrites our national economy, national security and sovereignty,” Admiral Hammond said. “Our nation must grow its shipbuilding and sustainment workforce, industry and infrastructure.

“To achieve this, the people of Australia must believe the work done by the national shipbuilding enterprise matters – that there is no work more important to our national security.”

Meanwhile, the German shipbuilder bidding for the navy’s upcoming $10bn frigates contract has made its first public pitch for the contract, arguing its Meko-200 is the lowest-risk option for Australia.

The German ship is up against Japan’s Mogami frigate, which is considered the favourite in the contest because its design is newer and its manufacturer, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is leaning heavily on the “quasi alliance” between Australia and Japan as part of its pitch. The winning bidder will have to build the first three frigates offshore before shifting construction to Perth – a requirement that could prove challenging for Japan which has never built a warship in a foreign country.

The government is due to select a preferred tenderer by the end of the year.