Chris Corrigan: the ghost of 1998 haunts wharfies’ pay battle

The maritime union could be headed for a showdown with Chris Corrigan later this year over a protracted pay deal.

The maritime union could be headed for a showdown with Howard-era waterfront warrior Chris Corrigan later this year after talks over a pay deal for wharfies at Patrick stevedore threaten to unravel.

Patrick, owned by Asciano but poised for sale to Corrigan’s Qube, presented the Maritime Union of Australia with a “final” offer on pay and conditions on Wednesday and demanded an answer by 5pm today.

It threatened lockouts and ­arbitration if the union didn’t ­relent to “unsustainable” claims on pay and rosters.

Senior Patrick executive Alexandra Badenoch yesterday warned that a deal might not be ­finalised before a sale of the ­business.

“We will leave it open if that’s what’s required and they’ll have to start again with the new owner,” Ms Badenoch said.

“I think the union has been reasonably misguided, and thinks settlement is a condition of the sale.”

She added, however, that “our preference is to reach an agreement (before the sale)’’.

Ms Badenoch also beefed up warnings about potential lockouts, further inflaming tensions with the union.

Asciano wants to sell the ports business to Qube logistics company and Canada’s Brookfield Infrastructure in a $2.9 billion deal, subject to approval from regu­latory authorities and Asciano shareholders.

The sale, backed by the company’s board and chief executive John Mullen, is likely to be finalised by the end of June.

A union source saidthe MUA had begun to suspect Asciano was “stalling” ahead of the sale and ­described recent actions and comments from the company as “inflammatory ... they weren’t about trying to bring about an enterprise agreement’’.

The MUA wage claim amounts to 3 per cent a year, against Patrick’s offer of 1 per cent in the first year, 2.5 per cent in the second year, and 2.75 per cent a year for the remaining two years.

The MUA, which stopped work for two days at Port Botany this week, is preparing to strike for 48 hours at Brisbane and Melbourne terminals next week.

The union’s leadership rejected Patrick’s demand yesterday.

MUA deputy national secretary Will Tracey said the union will respond to Patrick’s final offer on Friday.

In April 1998, Mr Corrigan joined forces with the federal government in an attempt to break the MUA’s stranglehold on the waterfront, locking out his workforce and setting up new companies to employ a non-unionised workforce, trained in Dubai.