The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has rejected an arbitrary deadline put in place by Patrick to respond to their so-called final offer on a new Enterprise Agreement. The MUA has been locked in intense negotiation and industrial action for more than a year in this dispute, which impacts on workers in Sydney, Freemantle, Melbourne and Brisbane.
After delivering an 18-page offer to the union, Patrick wanted a response within 36 hours, an impossible request given the complicated and significant nature of the content. The union has said it will review the offer and respond by next Friday, 22 April.
General secretary of the ITF Steve Cotton said: “This dispute is about job security, it’s about workers being able to manage their home lives, see their children. It’s about transparent and accountable allocation of labour and fair compensation for an honest day’s work. The MUA won’t be rushed into a decision on these crucial issues.
“The company doesn’t have a track record for behaving reasonably when it doesn’t get its own way but we supported the MUA against Patrick in 1998 and we’ll continue to do so as they fight for a fair resolution in this dispute.”
