The MUA has called a four-day strike for Qube Ports’ workers in Melbourne and Geelong from today after demanding unsustainable pay rises and failing to negotiate a new Enterprise Agreement with Qube Ports for more than two years.
Shipping Australia supports Qube Ports’ decision not to give in to the MUA’s unreasonable demands and have finally applied to have the old EBA set aside and return to the Award. Our members label this second strike in three weeks as an unreasonable and a...
International shipping is a highly competitive business, our members are accustomed to tough competition, and in principle they will always support the introduction of competition in pilotage and other services to shipping, provided that the market is large enough to economically sustain multiple operators and that safety standards are maintained.
I am very pleased to learn of the commencement of pilotage services in Melbourne by the Australian Pilotage Group (APG) and I am sure that many of our...
https://shippingaustralia.com.au/competition-pilotage-melbourne/
In January, the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and the Trade Facilitation Group (TFG) Discussion Agreements were terminated. This follows soon after the termination of the Australia and New Zealand – United States (ANZUSDA) Discussion Agreement at the end of December 2017. This represents a monumental change to liner shipping in Australia.
The decision to terminate these selected Discussion Agreements (not consortia agreements) is significant given that conferences/DAs serving the North...
https://shippingaustralia.com.au/winds-change-liner-shipping/
MUA members are laying low, while CFMEU and other unions use social media to fuel the picket and hide under cowardly “community protest” cover to destroy Australian businesses and jobs – so what’s new?
The Victorian Supreme Court was satisfied enough of the MUA’s role that they granted a seven day injunction against MUA members from being within 100m of the VICT access gate, though there was insufficient evidence to include the CFMEU.
It seems that this has been ignored, union stooges and bullies...
https://shippingaustralia.com.au/illegal-picket-vict-webb-dock-terminal-must-clearednow/
The AMOU and MUA’s current program of short, disruptive 24 hour strikes suspending pilot vessel operations to most cargo ships at Port Jackson and Port Botany is pushing up shipping costs, and will likely lead to higher prices for Christmas. It is also taking money out of the pockets of their own union workers who won’t see their pay rises until the new EBA is in place.
And this is not about wages or job security, it’s a blatant power play by the unions to take over management decisions.
Port...
https://shippingaustralia.com.au/sydneys-maritime-strikes-will-increase-cost-christmas/
Thursday 28th September is the International Maritime Organisation’s World Maritime Day.
This year’s theme, “Connecting Ships, Ports and People” should be a wake-up call for all Australians, a day to reflect on how we are absolutely dependent on our connections to the world which are provided by international ships operating though Australia’s network of ports.
IMO secretary General Kitack Lim said, “Shipping and ports can play a significant role in helping to create conditions for increased...
https://shippingaustralia.com.au/connecting-ships-ports-people-world-maritime-day-2017-2/
It was good to see Port of Melbourne CEO Brendan Bourke address the matter of ship sizes in his presentation to the Rail Futures Conference last week (as reported in Lloyds List Australia web news service). I know that Port of Melbourne is doing as much as they can to accommodate larger ships as soon as possible, and I commend them on their efforts, but the fact is that the physical limitations of the Yarra River, Swanson Dock and the Westgate Bridge just can’t be overcome with the current...
https://shippingaustralia.com.au/blame-panama-canal-ships-size-growth-costly-port-melbourne/