The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has praised the “massive wins” delivered for wharfies at Qube sites across Australia following months of bargaining, industrial action and disagreement.
The new agreements have been overwhelmingly endorsed through ballots and meetings of MUA members in every state, and delivers a four-year term with 5.5 per cent pay increases each year and “significant” rostering and fatigue improvements.
Despite the delivery of the new flagship agreement, hostilities remain between Qube and the MUA. The MUA says it has “offered an ongoing peace deal to Qube, but at this stage the company has rejected proposals for a normalisation of relations”.
The MUA embarked on industrial action at Qube sites at Brisbane, Port Kembla, Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin, Melbourne and Fremantle earlier this year. Negotiations at the time were going so poorly that Shipping Australia asked Federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Murray Watt to intervene and send the dispute to the Fair Work Commission.
Deputy MUA National Secretary Warren Smith led the campaign for a new agreement between the MUA and Qube. He has expressed his pride at the reaching of a new deal that improves working standards in the industry.
“This is the best agreement ever delivered for workers employed by this company,” Smith says. “The agreements were won through months of consistent industrial action and hard-fought members’ struggle.
“Wharfies held the line and won against the company’s intransigence and corporate greed.”
The ongoing hostilities between Qube and the MUA include ongoing court cases including the suing of twenty Melbourne wharfies and MUA officials by Qube management. A Qube Director is also currently being sued by the MUA.
The MUA asserts Qube has sought to have workers work for free after taking industrial action through the manipulation of anti-worker laws.
“When this petty resentment is wound back the MUA will strongly support the process of normalising relations with the company,” Smith says.
Highlights of the new agreement between include:
- A four-year term with 5.5 per cent pay increases each year.
- A one per cent superannuation increase above the legislated Super guarantee.
- 2pm allocation of shifts, instead of 4pm.
- 10-hour breaks between shifts.
- 48-hour break when now reduced consecutive shift maximums are reached.
- Paid domestic and family violence leave.
- New rostering and planned time off provisions.
- Income protection.
- Improved public holiday arrangements.
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