Mick Doleman, MUA deputy national secretary, said "we're saving Patrick from themselves" and the union wanted work to resume in an effort to undo the damage inflicted by the company.
Paddy Crumlin, the union’s national secretary, said it had never been the union’s intention that the terminals would be shut down by the company in response to the promised week-long bans.
But Mr Crumlin insisted last night that the union had never intended to hurt exporters, and had previously told farmers their products would be processed.
However, he said the exemptions for rural exports were unable to be enacted once Patrick stood down the employees without pay.