Published: 24 Aug 2017
Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) wharfies have today notified Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal (FACT) management of the intention to take industrial action next week in the form of a 24 hour stoppage and indefinite workplace bans.
On Wednesday night wharfies also took the highly unusual step of writing directly to clients of FACT due to their frustrations over a lack of good will in bargaining for a new Enterprise Agreement.
Wharfies are being told management is deliberately spreading lies and misinformation about the state of bargaining, particularly regarding the cost of the union’s claims.
MUA Deputy National Secretary Will Tracey said the MUA will proceed with industrial action unless the company performs some sort of miracle and decides to come back to the negotiating table with a revised offer.
“Our members have run out of patience and have no confidence that FACT management are negotiating in good faith – particularly when you consider FACT had tried to cancel today’s negotiation meeting and the key manager would not attend,” Tracey said.
“The ballot for employees to take industrial action closed yesterday, with an overwhelming turnout of 90 per cent of the workforce and every single one of those that voted endorsing taking industrial action of some type.
“Unfortunately there was no progress at all in today’s meeting and it became apparent very early on that the company would not budge in any way and so regrettably industrial action is unavoidable.”
The letter to FACT clients says: “We have had in excess of 25 negotiation meetings and disappointingly have failed to close out the agreement.
“Over that time what has become very apparent in relation to FACT’s opposition to the claims of its own employees and the updates given to clients is the over-inflating of the costings of the claims.
“Over the meetings to date we have been able to reduce FACT’s costings by more than 20 per cent in the first year alone… because of the inaccuracy of the methodology used by FACT and the continued misinformation around the claims.
“We take the extraordinary step of writing directly to you because we can’t get through to FACT and we are left with very little options if discussions continue as they have so far and FACT refuse to move on their current position.
“We are hoping that industrial action is not the only option we are left with.”
Unfortunately absolutely no progress occurred at today’s meeting.
Media Contact: Darrin Barnett 0428 119 703
