Patrick Terminals apply to terminate Enterprise Agreement with MUA and Current MUA Industrial Action

Attention: Shipping Manager

• Patrick Terminals apply to terminate Enterprise Agreement with MUA

We have been advised that Patrick Terminals have lodged an application with the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to terminate their Enterprise Agreement with the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA). The current agreement contains numerous operational restrictions which have limited Patrick’s ability to meet customer requirements, especially during this challenging time of global supply chains.

Since February 2020, Patrick has been negotiating with its employees and the MUA to pursuit a new Enterprise Agreement and to address these restrictions. During the negotiation period, the MUA has launched more than 220 strike actions against Patrick Terminals nationally. The situation has escalated recently with further industrial actions planned for the upcoming days and weeks.

For this reason, Patrick has applied with the FWC for an order to terminate the current agreement. Terminating the agreement will allow Patrick to recruit and promote the best people for the job without being restricted by the Union’s processes and policies, and allow Patrick to offer the best and most efficient services to the customers.

We expect there will be many further ramifications from this and we are expecting more significant strike action.

Just prior to this announcement, we had been advised of the following additional work stoppages at both Sydney and Melbourne terminals as follows:

• Patrick Terminals – Sydney 

• 24 hours of work stoppage starting at 6 am Tuesday 2^nd November 2021

 The current delays are on average 1 day and are expected to increase with the current and notified strike action for Melbourne Cup Day.

• Patrick Terminals – Melbourne 

• 8 hours of work stoppage starting at 11 am each day on Monday 1^st November, Wednesday 3^rd November, Friday 5^th November, Monday 8^th November, Wednesday 10^th November and Friday 12^th November 2021
• 4 hours of work stoppage starting at 3 am each day on Monday 1^st November, Wednesday 3^rd November, Friday 5^th November, Monday 8^th November, Wednesday 10^th November and Friday 12^th November 2021
• A ban on working overtime and shift extensions starting from 7 am Monday 1^st November 2021 and finishing at 7 am Saturday 6^th November 2021, starting at 7 am Monday 8^th November 2021 and finishing at 7 am Saturday 13^th November 2021
• Days on which an employee is rostered as ‘off/avail’, there will be a ban on attending work on Thursday 4^th November, Tuesday 9^th November and Thursday 11^th November 2021

The terminal is currently operating with a 4-days delay due to limited labour availability resulting from positive COVID-19 cases and close contact isolation requirements. Delays are expected to increase with the upcoming industrial actions.

• Patrick Terminals – Brisbane

Delays are currently up to 5 days at Brisbane terminal and are forecasted to increase with the current industrial action.

• Patrick Terminals – Fremantle

The terminal operations continue to be impacted by industrial action with vessel delays are now averaging 8.5 days.

We will keep you updated with any further information.