The MUA's week-long work stoppage affected at least 26 ships. (ABC TV News - file image: Kerrin Binnie)
Stevedoring company Patrick says crippling industrial action at three of its ports will cost the company $8 million and set its operations back up to two months.
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has rejected an offer from Patrick to enter into voluntary conciliation and arbitration before Fair Work Australia on a new enterprise bargaining agreement, saying the offer amounts to double standards.
MUA deputy national secretary Mick Doleman says Patrick’s offer is just a case of the company trying to save face in the media.
“We put to Patrick in our enterprise agreement that we would have conciliation and arbitration on all matters during the life of the agreement, where we can’t take protected industrial action and we will arbitrate on every matter,” he said.
“They refused that on every occasion. Now, for media and for other purposes they want to have arbitration and conciliation.
“We say no, we’re not entertaining that. We will go to the bargaining table and we will negotiate within the frames and the laws of Fair Work Australia.”
Patrick is now moving to force the union into compulsory arbitration.