Published: 26 May 2014
The Australian Mines & Metals Association (AMMA) continues to mislead the community about the actions of the Maritime Union of Australia and its negotiations over a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) for maritime workers in the offshore oil and gas industry.
Following the adjournment of today’s Fair Work Commission (FWC) hearing into planned industrial action at Tidewater tomorrow, AMMA has provided misleading comment to the media that FWC had found that the MUA was not bargaining in good faith.
MUA WA Secretary Christy Cain said the adjournment was based on a technicality, and not on any finding against the MUA.
“AMMA knows full well this adjournment is based on a technicality and that no adverse finding has been made against the MUA,” Mr Cain said.
Last week, the MUA gave marine services company Tidewater seven days notice of its intention to take 48 hours of protected industrial action. The action had been approved by the Fair Work Commission on the basis that, after 18 months of negotiations, a secret ballot of MUA members delivered 100 per cent support for industrial action.
Tidewater is one of 22 vessel operators to have worked on the construction of projects like Chevron’s Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG projects.
AMMA lodged an application with FWC to prevent the stoppage going ahead. The matter has been adjourned, preventing strike action from proceeding tomorrow as originally authorised.
“AMMA has been misleading the public for more than twelve months about the wages and conditions of MUA workers and this is the latest deception in their politically motivated campaign against the MUA and Australia’s industrial relations laws,” Mr Cain said.
“At the end of the day, 100 per cent of Tidewater workers voted unanimously to take strike action in support of local jobs, fair wages and family friendly rosters.
“AMMA’s view of the world is that any ship should be able to hire foreign crews over Australian crews, denying the whole of Australia the opportunity to benefit from projects like Gorgon and Wheatstone. The MUA makes no apology for standing up to this un-Australian perspective, and we will continue do so.”
