Industrial Rounds
Permanency at P&O, Patrick Review, divers recruityment, ITF global action and the Fremantle family friendly enterprise agreement feature as top priority industrial issues this quarter
Permanency at P&O
The union continued to make progress in October in what has been six months of tough and drawn out negotiations with P&O. National issues (Part A) are now finalised with agreement also reached for both Sydney and Brisbane terminal EBAs.
"We've had a breakthrough," said Deputy National Secretary Jim Tannock. "We've virtually done away with casual jobs in the four major terminals and got a good result in bulk and general as well. Most of the supps have been upgraded to Gee wees and we've got an automatic process in place whereby all regular supps get promoted to GeeWees after 12 months on the job and achieving their guarantee."
But it was not without a battle.
P&O enterprise negotiations got hot in September as the union dug in over rosters and outsourcing while pushing to up the percentage of permanent jobs at each enterprise.
At the outset of talks the union team took a strong stand on casualisation in the industry. On that issue it has made headway, with around 300 casual workers being upgraded to GWEs nationally and part time workers (PPT) reclassified as variable salary employees (VSE) on a minimum annual wage of $40,000.
VSE workers have permanent jobs, a salary indexed by wage increases, 10 public holidays and eight hours minimum in terminals (excluding any four hour minimums like lashing and cars). But they do not work on the roster. The union has fixed problems pay system and they get 5 weeks annual leave on the average graded rate. Both new GWEs and VSE get improved superannuation benefits.
At one stage rank and file representatives voiced concern that the company intended using the VSE position as the norm, with employees being forced off the roster. Or that the new VSE positions would eat away at permanent full time jobs.
But these concerns were put to rest. Under the new agreement this cannot happen and there is a clause to ensure that. In Brisbane the parties have agreed to 16 new permanent rostered jobs, 35 VSE, with 12 supplementaries being upgraded to guaranteed wage earners (GWE).
Also agreed is a wage rise of 12 per cent on the current rates over the term of the agreement. And the union has agreement on equity, apprenticeships, six monthly reviews of labour levels, inhouse advertising of vacant positions and worker representation in the selection process all in the bag.
P&O has also agreed to six paid weeks maternity leave. But the ACTU/union claims was 14 weeks. So National Secretary Paddy Crumlin has a commitment from management that they will meet with ACTU President Sharan Burrow to examine more closely the need for an increased entitlement throughout the whole of the P&O group of companies.
Negotiations have now been concluded in Adelaide, Bunbury, Port Hedland, Tasmania, Fremantle (bulk and general) and South Australian outports, with copies of the proposed EBAs being distributed to members prior to stopwork meetings.
As MWJ went to press the final round of port negotiations were under way in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Fremantle with key issues being rosters, hours of work, numbers of full time jobs vs variable and guaranteed jobs, allocation and notification procedures, 4 hour minimums and outsourcing.
Meanwhile P&O presentations of their proposed new bonus scheme continue around the ports.
Patrick Review
Twenty two supplementary workers in Sydney and Brisbane will be upgraded to part time guaranteed jobs, with 10 PGEs moving to permanent full time jobs, as a result of the first Patrick review of labour. And in Sydney the branch won a company commitment that no new supps would be put on without a labour review.
In Brisbane the union also won an agreement in principle to train supplementary labour to operate straddles. A working group will identify the company's need with supps trained up to fill any positions agreed.
Meanwhile 'pay back', the controversial scheme which saw the EBA voted down in some ports last year is still an issue. Under the scheme workers rostered onto shifts which are cancelled owe the company another shift, but can build up credits beforehand. This was again an issue during the review. As a compromise in Brisbane Assistant National Secretary Mick Doleman reports the company has extended the time to settle time owing until June next year for both Brisbane and Sydney. Patrick, however, wants a 'watching brief' as shipping windows appear 'out of whack' with the roster in Sydney.
This was also a problem in Fremantle, especially with car carriers arriving on weekends.
The Melbourne review was scheduled to commence in September.
Divers Join en Masse
One in three NSW on-shore divers is now in the MUA after a unanimous vote at the union sponsored Onshore Diving Seminar held in Sydney in August.
Assistant National Secretary Mick Doleman reports that the 22 onshore divers able to attend the seminar raised ongoing concerns about diminishing employment conditions and the need to get organised. Many other divers sent in apologies saying they were unavailable to attend due to work and other commitments. So those joining the union on the day made a commitment to encourage their work colleagues to sign up with the MUA back on the job.
National Industrial Officer Bill Giddins gave a report on award simplification of divers' federal awards. But divers concluded that their best interests could only be served through enterprise negotiations. And for this to be successful, they need to be effectively represented by the Maritime Union.
ITF Garners Global Action
VANCOUVER: The theme of the 40th ITF Congress was Globalising Solidarity, with the 1500 world transport delegates passing a resolution in support of the Maritime Union shipping campaign and the MUA seconding a motion giving full support to the ILWU.
A direct outcome of Congress was the promise by Canadian politician Paul Martin, a major shareholder in CSL shipping, to arrange the meeting with Canadian maritime unions and National Secretary Paddy Crumlin over the flagging out of the Stadacona (alias Yarra) and the Pacific on the Australian coastal trade (see Maritime Diary).
"This Congress took a big step towards making global worker power a reality," said Paddy Crumlin. "Capitalism is global, so we need to organise and act on an international scale as well to effectively protect working men and women.
Congress resolved to form regional units with the MUA contingent holding meetings with the New Zealand maritime unions and Australian road, rail and aviation unions.
Patrick has moved to integrate aviation, road, shipping and stevedoring, so must unions.
"This is the shape of the multi national transport companies of the future," said Crumlin. "P&O, Nedlloyd, Maersk and others are all seeking to control the movement of cargo from door to door. If the international and national transport unions do not have a coordinated approach to meeting this offensive, they can not be effective."
In stevedoring Congress centred on opposition to ships crews stevedoring vessels, hold cleaning and tandem lifting of containers, a dangerous practice requiring crane operators to lift two or more containers at one time.
Also of special concern was the Ports of Convenience move in Europe which would allow shipowners to bring in their own private dock workers or use crew to stevedore their vessels. in violation of ILO Convention 137.
In light of these developments Congress voted to allocate more funding to the docker section and appoint a vice chairman to work with ITF Dockers' Secretary Kees Marges full time on stevedoring issues.
Meanwhile MUA has maintained a high profile in the ITF with National Secretary Paddy Crumlin elected to four positions on the executive at Congress held in Vancouver, Canada, in August; former national secretary John Coombs honoured with the coveted gold medal in recognition of his services to world maritime workers and MUA women's liaison officer Sue Virago re-elected as Asia Pacific delegate to the ITF women's committee.
Crumlin was elected unanimously to the ITF executive board, its management Committee and as a vice president to the dockers' committee. He also sits on the committee responsible for formulating and finalising Congress resolutions.
Also attending Congress were MUA Deputy National Secretary Jim Tannock, Assistant National Secretary Rick Newlyn and former national secretary John Coombs.
Full ITF Congress reports and resolutions are available on the web . Delegates should download the reports and distribute as widely as possible among members or post on notice boards.
Fremantle EBA
FREMANTLE: Port Authority workers boast a new family friendly EBA, which features a regular roster and 13 weeks paid maternity/paternity, leave, with 12 weeks for all future leave.
Those covered by the EBA include employees at port operations, services and the newly acquired stevedoring operations, formerly employed by BHP.
Branch Secretary Terry Buck reports stevedoring workers now make up nine permanent workers (up from eight). They comprise three teams of three working three nights, three days and three off under a 1575 counted hours arrangement. Port workers will make up supplementary labour on a loading, with a seven-hour minimum for overtime applied.
"The set roster of a seven hour to 12 hour shift is a breakthrough," said Buck. "We did not previously consider we'd get it when the Authority bought the operation.
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