Patrick stevedore workplace vote: wharfies can bypass MUA

Patrick stevedores wharfies will be given a direct vote on a new workplace deal in a secret ballot that will bypass the MUA.

Patrick’s port operations have been dogged by work stoppages this year, culminating in the threat of lockouts.

Patrick stevedores wharfies will be given a direct vote on a new workplace deal in a secret ballot that will bypass the Maritime Union of Australia.

The ballot to be run independently by Elections Australia Pty Ltd, was an attempt to “break the MUA impasse in EA negotiations” after twelve months of talks failed to produce a deal, the company said yesterday.

However it conceded a “yes” result was unlikely from the highly unionised workforce.

“Our people should have the opportunity to have their say on the company’s proposal,” Patrick executive Alex Badenoch said yesterday.

“We’ve spent more than a year talking with the Maritime Union and we seem to have stalled, despite the fact that only a few issues remain outstanding and they are relatively narrow in scope. “

Patrick’s port operations have been dogged by work stoppages this year, culminating in the threat of lockouts and Patrick servicing a “final” offer agreement on the union last week.

Industrial action from the MUA has now cost Patrick at least 14 days’ lost time, the company said.

The company’s proposal to the MUA last week comprised a reduced pay offer after knocking back the union’s proposed roster 32-hour week roster.

Ms Badenoch said “I don’t believe any employer that is serious about growing its business to provide more jobs would agree to claims so out of step with commercial reality.”

Patrick tabled the final offer to the MUA last Wednesday with a request for a response two days later. The company offered to extend the deadline to tomorrow at 5pm after the union objected to the deadline, but only if the MUA called off planned strike action this week.

But the MUA proceeded with a 48-hour strike at Fisherman Islands in Brisbane and said it will press ahead with industrial action at Melbourne’s East Swanson Dock this week.

Ms Badenoch said that while there was “the very high risk of employees voting against the proposal ... we believe the right thing is to take the offer directly to our employees.”

“Let’s hear directly from our people about what they want and what they don’t want rather than having company and union representatives anchored together in a deadlock that serves no useful purpose for anyone.”

“We’ve committed a year negotiating in good faith with the MUA, which professes to seek agreement with us yet seem unable to let go of claims that are plainly out of step with commercial reality. In that process, damage has been done to our business, our customers and ultimately our employees.”

The MUA said it welcomed the ballot with “open arms”.

“As an organisation that is based on democracy, we welcome the vote, which will only endorse what we the union has been telling Patrick throughout the year,” said MUA deputy national secretary Will Tracey.

“I am more than confident that the workers will overwhelmingly reject the offer and if Patrick had have taken my phone calls, I could have told them this and saved them time and money.

Mr Tracey branded Patrick’s offer “riddled with irregularities and contained a lack of clarity on previously agreed outcomes”.

“Mr Badenoch says the length and nature of the negotiations has been at great cost to the business, yet they are willing to draw out the negotiations and unnecessarily spend money on this vote.”

Voting will be open from May 4 and close May 9. Elections Australia Pty Ltd will provide all employees with a unique password with which they will be able to log into the voting site to cast their vote.

The company will bear the costs of hiring Elections Australia and running the ballot.