News

Negotiations for the Part B local arrangements in Port Adelaide and Whyalla were held in the past week for respective sites.

Offshore Update – 14^th August 2020

Comrades

This next update covers off on the industry, along with this Monday’s action against the WA State Government.  Please share this email around and if you are currently in Perth please GET INVOLVED in the MUA campaign for our member’s jobs.

WA Outer Harbour – Action Time

The McGowan Government has announced plans to begin the construction of the Outer Harbour. The WA Branch clearly oppose these plans as “It’s just not needed”.

Members,

Click the link here to view and download the Rank and File Voice Newspaper - No. 47 July 2020 'Coronavirus Lockdown Edition'.

Comrades your input is needed to help shape the Tasmanian union movement’s priorities in the social and economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
Unions Tasmania has launched a survey to ask for your views on Tasmania, what would make your workplace better, and any specific ideas for recovery and job creation that you have for our state.
 

https://www.mua.org.au/sites/mua.org.au/files/200617%20MUA%20QLD%20Sea%20Swift.pdf

 
Major flaws in Australia’s biosecurity, shipping, and health and safety regulations have been highlighted after six crew members on the livestock vessel Al Kuwait tested positive for coronavirus, forcing local maritime workers who boarded the vessel into self-isolation.
 
The vessel, owned by Kuwait Livestock Transport & Trading, was allowed to dock in Fremantle last Friday despite the ship’s master two days earlier notifying the Federal Department of Agriculture — which oversees quarantine measures on the waterfront — that several crew members were sick.

Linx in Port Adelaide has undergone further ‘restructuring’ resulting in some redundancies (4) and a further loss of guaranteed hours for most of the workforce. These changes will come into effect on 22 May 2020.
This was on the back of Linx management abandoning a long standing – but unprofitable- contract.
That work will now be done by Qube in the Port. To be crystal clear-the circumstances were in no way related to Covid-19.

In the midst of this pandemic, employers have conveniently used COVID-19 as a mechanism to suspend and stall enterprise bargaining, not communicate with the Union or use COVID-19 as a measure to try and reduce terms and conditions or offer negative pay increases. Despite in some instances companies benefiting from the pandemic or not being impacted.
To that end the SA Branch continues to agitate for respective companies to come back to the bargaining table and continue negotiations.

The Morrison government has heard the Australian union movement’s call to ensure that all workers are covered by a wage subsidy program during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Federal Government finally introduced the $130 billion JobKeeper scheme to assist employers to keep their employees on during the COVID-19 outbreak.
A number of employers in the Maritime Industry are eligible for the Job Keeper scheme. The Union encourages you to sign-up if the company provides the relevant forms. The Union will work with respective employers on how the Job Keeper payments will be applied.

Since the COVID 19 pandemic the MUA National Executive, which includes Branch Secretary Jamie Newlyn, has been meeting weekly to keep a watching brief, ready for an agile and adaptive response where required.