Mateship

So strong was their commitment to getting their mates some job security and doing away with casual work, that members in Brisbane and Melbourne bulk and general terminals voted to sacrifice a year’s wage rise. They are foregoing a 4 per cent pay increase, making the total wage rise over the term of the agreement 8 per cent, instead of the 12 per cent agreed in national negotiations which applies to other ports.
“Permanent jobs was the top priority of the national rank and file conference,” said National Secretary Paddy Crumlin. “And the determination of the members shows how genuine they were about delivering that outcome.”
When it came time to take the EBA to the workforce, the vote was unanimous.
“What they did was beautiful,” said Deputy National Secretary Jim Tannock. “We went for permanent jobs so we struck a deal with the company. Our blokes said ‘we don’t want your money. We’re not interested. We want decent jobs.”
Melbourne delegate Dave Smith (above) said members want as many people as possible upgraded to permanent and guaranteed jobs.
“We discussed it over the table with P&O management,” he said. “But they argued against us. They said it would cost the company too much in leave and super. So we said we’d forgo the first 4 per cent. Now we look like getting around 60 suppos promoted to gee wees at Appleton Dock. That’s a record.”
This is just the start, Smith stresses. He and his mates want to permanently do away with casual jobs on the waterfront.
“It gives everyone hope. No one wants casual jobs,” he said. “Down here we work pretty well together. We’re a close workforce here. Casuals and permanents – we’ve always worked in together.”
Permanency was top priority in this round of ebas and in every port delegates fought to get it up.
“There’s going to be no supplementaries in the major terminals,” said Assistant National Secretary Rick Newlyn. “All supps are being promoted to a guaranteed wage after a year. This is the first time we have been able to achieve an outcome that gives so much security of employment and career path opportunities in the stevedoring industry.
Job Security
Turning the tide against casualisation was the key aim of the delegates national conference. That’s what the negotiating team set out to do and that’s what they achieved, doing away with most casual jobs in all four major terminals. Most supps have been upgraded to GWEs – around 300 nationwide with all regular supps from now on automatically moving to GWEs after 12 months on the job.
All 180 PPTEs (and some GWEs) now enter a new permanent job category Variable Salaried Employees. VSE members are not on the roster, but they are guaranteed a minimum $40,000 a year indexed by wage increases, higher hourly rates, 11 paid public holidays and 5 weeks annual leave with a further 21 planned days off. Annual leave is paid out on their average graded rate and accumulates on hours worked not shifts. Super is based on $950, which could mean a $14,000 overnight increase for GWEs upgraded to VSE who have been employed with the company five years.
Established numbers of permanent rostered jobs ensure that VSE and GWE positions do not take their place.
A new provision commits the company to keeping permanent full time jobs in the four capital ports at more than half the workforce (51%) up from 42%.
It did not come easy.
At the outset the company wanted to do away with the rosters and any full time permanents. It wanted shift durations of 4-12 hours for ALL work in all terminals and ports, compulsory overtime, no Commission role in the dispute settlement procedure, all employees to moor and unmoor vessels, cut backs on union meetings, no provision for volunteers to be picked up first and no pay in lieu for permanent employees who worked closed port days.
The company also wanted to contract out first aid and have unlimited rights to outsource work.
“Just when we’d think we were almost over the line the company would move the goal post a bit,” said Fremantle rank and file national negotiating team member, Adrian Evans. “The company have played it pretty hard and we’re playing it pretty hard back. That’s why we hit a bit of a stalemate.”
Negotiations started in April and ground on. But members across all ports were prepared to wait it out.
“It meant holding back on a pay increase until we got an outcome,” said Evans. “The guys were getting anxious. They were asking me about it every day. The company was putting pressure on the guys. But they still gave us all the time we needed to get the right outcome. They’d say ‘go as long as it takes’. When you know you’ve got the support of the blokes behind you it gives you a bit more conviction.”
Evans quickly earned the respect of union officials, fellow delegates and employers at the outset of the talks when he uncovered a few holes in the company argument to cut back on conditions.
“They put out data on rosters and paid hours,” he said. “They said you are not earning your salary. We need better work practices. But their figures were flawed. I did real well at maths at school so saw through it. It made it hard for us to negotiate in good faith when they were putting out dodgy figures. Missing bits. Once we put that back in figures came out better for us. The outcome was a win for us on the rosters.”
The outcome made it all worth waiting for:
Up to 12 per cent wage increases over three years for ALL workers, including supps, for the first time in a decade worker representatives will again take part in job selection and members on the job get priority for any new jobs going. Recognition of the delegate and the union has been enshrined in the EBA giving guaranteed right of entry for union officials, a new “introduction of change” clause guarantees union input into significant changes and there is paid time off for delegates to attend shop, committee and OH&S meetings. Four hour shifts are limited to a few jobs only in most ports. Where the four hours is exceeded an automatic seven hours is paid. VSE get paid public holidays not worked
Transfers are also agreed, so members in bulk and general can move to the terminals, enhancing their earning capacity, job and career opportunities.
Vocational training and education is now available for VSE, GWE and supps at grade 2 rates with full reimbursement of costs.
The EBA includes a six monthly review of labour composition to ensure wage equity, six weeks paid maternity leave with the company agreeing to meet with the ACTU to discuss an additional eight weeks in a bid to attract more women into the industry and keep them in the industry
“The union has worked hard at ensuring that the new agreement removes discrimination against individuals whether through work or through other policy procedures,” said National Secretary Paddy Crumlin. “Official warnings have a sunset on them and we have made important breakthroughs in maternity leave. We have sought to remove any ambiguity from the wording of the EBA and this should ensure that what actually is agreed to is clear to all parties, minimising the interpretation of what the agreement actually means.
“From the P&O Conference, the election of rank and file representatives to sit on the national and local negotiation teams ensured that workers were properly represented in every aspect of the EBA and that has clearly been delivered.
“The new EBA has fixed the R&R, delivered teh intent of the conference and consolidated o past gains, while providing a strong foudnation for workers to be pretoected in their workplace.”
As MWJ went to press, the EBA was still going to the vote of members in Fremantle, Adelaide & Sydney