Offshore delegates conference attracts international guests

By Mick Doleman
Assistant National Secretary

Representatives of the International Transport Workers' Federation Offshore Taskforce and US unions were in Perth in October for the MUA Offshore/Hydrocarbon industry conference.

The conference, held in preparation for the next round of enterprise agreement negotiations, included a briefing on the Gulf of Mexico campaign where MUA member Bluey Roberts has been seconded to help recruit some 14,000 non unionised maritime workers, many of whom are being employed by the same multinationals as we work under, but on far inferior conditions.

MUA Assistant National Secretary Mick Doleman has been helping setup and lead the initiative since it's outset a year back and has recently been made Vice-Chair of the international Taskforce.

ITF Offshore Taskforce head Norrie McVicar and AFL-CIO organiser Dave Eckstein were special guests for the conference. (The AFL-CIO is the US equivalent to the ACTU).

Conference deliberated over agenda items forwarded by rank and file members and vessels. Many of these now form part of the union agenda for the next enterprise agreement.

Also arising from the conference was a endorsement of a single bargaining unit of all three maritime unions due to commence early next year.

Nominations and elections of rank and file delegates will get under way in the New Year.

Meanwhile national industrial organiser Rod Currie reports that union recruitment of workers in the oil gas and hydrocarbons industry is progressing actively.

The MUA currently only has coverage of offshore workers employed in offshore facilities which are technically vessels. But through its company MUA/HTS it has managed to still recruit and represent other offshore workers unhappy with poor pay and conditions.

MUA/HTS currently represents around 300 offshore workers with the exploration side of the industry showing signs of an upturn in the Timor Sea.

Currie reports that interest in MUA/HTS in production is strong, especially in Esso, Apache Energy, Wandoo B, Eurest Catering, Tad and Total marine/Ensco 56. In drilling the majority of workers are either on non union EBAs or individual contracts and this is now creeping into the new production areas.

With major offshore work now centred in Australia's north and northwest Rod Currie will work out of the union's Darwin, NT office as of the New Year, instead of the Melbourne office. This will also benefit the union by reducing travel costs. Bass Strait offshore and hydrocarbon union organising will be responsibility of Victorian deputy branch secretary John Higgins.

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