MUA offers 12-month ‘peace deal’ to end docks standoff

Ahead of crucial talks, the union offers to halt all industrial action for a year in exchange for a 2.5 per cent pay rises.

The Maritime Union of Australia is proposing a 12-month “peace deal” with Patrick to end their docks standoff, offering to drop industrial action for a year in exchange for rolling over the existing enterprise agreement and a 2.5 per cent pay rise.

MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin said the proposed deal would see the union end all legal industrial action at the company’s container terminals and the retention of al existing employee conditions.

“If Patrick refuses this peace offer, the Australian public will be left in no doubt which party is responsible for escalating this unnecessary conflict at such a difficult time for the nation,” he said.

The union will formally make the offer at a private conciliation hearing at the Fair Work Commission on Wednesday, a day ahead of the tribunal hearing Patrick’s application to terminate the protected action at four terminals.

Mr Crumlin said that while the MUA rejected Patrick’s “outlandish and baseless” claims that the industrial action was causing major delays at terminals, the union was acting to address the “concerns of the broader Australian community”.

“When the MUA and Patrick sit down for a conciliation hearing before the Fair Work Commission today, the union will be putting forward this genuine, reasonable, and fair peace offer that could bring the current dispute to an immediate end,” Mr Crumlin said.

“Our proposal does not seek to modify a single word of the existing agreement, so there is no change to the arrangements that Patrick has successfully and profitably operated their container terminals under.

“This peace deal would result in the immediate end to all industrial action at Patrick container terminals, now and for the duration of the agreement.

“It would provide certainty for farmers, exporters, and the general community, and allow Patrick and the union to refocus our efforts on the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID crisis.”

Mr Crumlin said the dispute had never been about money, but Patrick’s desire to “slash the conditions of their workforce under the cover of the COVID crisis”.

“If Patrick refuses this peace offer, the Australian public will be left in no doubt which party is responsible for escalating this unnecessary conflict at such a difficult time for the nation,” he said.