The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has commenced industrial action at the Port of Brisbane as of Friday 06 December. This will obviously have an impact on all import and export operations at the port and therefore will directly affect the pickup and delivery times of containers. At Colless Young we will work to do whatever we can to minimise delays to your deliveries, but we ask you to please just keep this mind when expecting your cargo to arrive.
Although initial reports said action would be limited to Brisbane, Qube Ports have confirmed that it does also affect their Port Kembla, Melbourne, Adelaide and Darwin bulk ports.
Members of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU, MUA Division) outlined a series of work bans and stoppages from Friday 06 December up to and including Thursday 12 December.
In a press release on 25 November the MUA said they now anticipate that ten Australian ports will be engaged in industrial action by Christmas time.
Wharfies at Qube’s bulk and general ports across Australia commenced industrial action in September after negotiations were repeatedly rejected by the vertically integrated stevedoring company.
The Union says that, as a consequence, over ten of these ports will be in industrial action by Christmas, as they grow impatient with what they call the obstructive conduct of their bosses at the ASX listed stevedore.
The principal claims being made by the Union are for:
- Pay rises that catch up with inflation and protect wharfies’ purchasing power on a same job same pay principle.
- Fatigue management rules to prevent the allocation of dangerous work patterns by company managers
- Roster allocations provided by 12pm the day before a shift, instead of the current 4pm allocation
Action by the MUA will include stoppages, go-slows, restrictions on shift extensions and refusal to meet certain performance standards.
Qube are rejecting all of the workers’ core claims. Their argument is that union demands would significantly hinder productivity and operational efficiency. Qube has proposed incremental wage increases that would see stevedores—who are reportedly paid 143% above the award—secure pay rises of 5% in each of the first two years of the new agreement and 4% in each of the following two years, with backpay to 01 July 2024.
However, the union is reportedly seeking a 25% wage increase in the first year alone, which Qube views as excessive. The employer has cautioned that such demands could lead to cost increases of 120–130%, a burden that would ultimately need to be passed on to customers and consumers.
Should the parties remain at an impasse and fail to reach an agreement through negotiations, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) allows for arbitration in cases of protracted disputes. However, an application for arbitration cannot be made until at least nine months after the nominal expiry date of the previous agreement.
As the previous Enterprise Agreement expired on 30 June 2024, the earliest opportunity to seek arbitration would be 31 March 2025. Given the current deadlock, it is possible that the dispute could extend well into the second quarter of 2025.
Here at Colless Young we greatly appreciate your patience and understanding that any delays caused by this action are beyond our control, but we emphasise we will do all we can to minimise any impact on you, our valued customers.
For more information about shipping and delivery schedules, talk to us here at Colless Young.
Contact Andrew, email enq@collessyoung.com.au Tel: +61 7 3890 0800.
