Fremantle port staff plan 48-hour strike
A planned 48-hour strike by 20 vessel traffic officers and pilot boat crews at Fremantle Port over a pay dispute could lead to lasting effects on the economy, port authorities said, according to Australian Associated Press.
Fremantle Ports has offered the workers an increase of 4.75 per cent annually over three years and a similar increase in allowances under a new enterprise agreement, but the union has rejected the offer.
Ports Australia chief executive David Anderson says the potential disruption to the Australian economy by continued industrial campaigns on the waterfront outweighed the damage done by the recent Qantas dispute.
Anderson said he was concerned about the impact of further disruptions to the country's port activity and trade in a world trade environment that was becoming increasingly brittle.
However, Maritime Union of Australia WA branch assistant secretary Will Tracey said Anderson's comment showed a clear lack of understanding of the issue.
"To suggest in any serious way that this is worse than the Qantas dispute is just a laugh," he said.
Tracey said only 31 vessel movements and up to 16 ships would be affected by the two-day strike.
He said it was the first time many of the workers would take industrial action in their 20 or more years in the job.
Fremantle Ports chief executive officer Chris Leatt-Hayter said he expected 34 shipping movements including container ships, other general cargo vessels, and bulk carriers to be affected.
"Fremantle Ports has notified shipping lines and customers of the impending industrial action, with an assurance that we will be doing everything we can with the resources available to us to minimise disruption," he said.
"We see no justification for this planned stoppage, which comes at the worst possible time as trade builds up in the traditionally very busy lead-in to Christmas."
WA Transport Minister Troy Buswell has written to Prime Minister Julia Gillard asking her to intervene with Fair Work Australia to suspend the action.
Leatt-Hayter said Fremantle Ports would also look at making an application to Fair Work Australia if the dispute continued.
He said Fremantle Ports handled close to US$26 billion in trade annually, which equated to an average of about $3 million in trade every hour.
"A 48-hour stoppage would be a major blow for retailers depending on timely pre-Christmas deliveries of imported goods for department stores and supermarkets," Leatt-Hayter said.
"It would be a major concern also for exporters operating in highly competitive markets."
Leatt-Hayter said a flow-on effect would be the inability of affected ships to meet their scheduled berthing windows in other ports, leading to further trade delays.
Fremantle Ports has offered the workers an increase of 4.75 per cent annually over three years and a similar increase in allowances under a new enterprise agreement, but the union has rejected the offer.
Ports Australia chief executive David Anderson says the potential disruption to the Australian economy by continued industrial campaigns on the waterfront outweighed the damage done by the recent Qantas dispute.
Anderson said he was concerned about the impact of further disruptions to the country's port activity and trade in a world trade environment that was becoming increasingly brittle.
However, Maritime Union of Australia WA branch assistant secretary Will Tracey said Anderson's comment showed a clear lack of understanding of the issue.
"To suggest in any serious way that this is worse than the Qantas dispute is just a laugh," he said.
Tracey said only 31 vessel movements and up to 16 ships would be affected by the two-day strike.
He said it was the first time many of the workers would take industrial action in their 20 or more years in the job.
Fremantle Ports chief executive officer Chris Leatt-Hayter said he expected 34 shipping movements including container ships, other general cargo vessels, and bulk carriers to be affected.
"Fremantle Ports has notified shipping lines and customers of the impending industrial action, with an assurance that we will be doing everything we can with the resources available to us to minimise disruption," he said.
"We see no justification for this planned stoppage, which comes at the worst possible time as trade builds up in the traditionally very busy lead-in to Christmas."
WA Transport Minister Troy Buswell has written to Prime Minister Julia Gillard asking her to intervene with Fair Work Australia to suspend the action.
Leatt-Hayter said Fremantle Ports would also look at making an application to Fair Work Australia if the dispute continued.
He said Fremantle Ports handled close to US$26 billion in trade annually, which equated to an average of about $3 million in trade every hour.
"A 48-hour stoppage would be a major blow for retailers depending on timely pre-Christmas deliveries of imported goods for department stores and supermarkets," Leatt-Hayter said.
"It would be a major concern also for exporters operating in highly competitive markets."
Leatt-Hayter said a flow-on effect would be the inability of affected ships to meet their scheduled berthing windows in other ports, leading to further trade delays.