The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has given notice of protected industrial action by its members working on board pilot cutters operated by the Port Authority from Port Jackson and Port Botany.
The move follows the failure to bring to a close negotiations between the Port Authority of New South Wales with the MUA and the Australian Maritime Officers Union (AMOU) over a replacement enterprise agreement for its Sydney workforce since March 2014, GAC Australia informed.
The proposed action will suspend the use of the pilot vessels to embark and disembark pilots in Port Jackson and Port Botany.
The MUA has given an assurance that its members will not take industrial action in the event there is a legitimate maritime emergency, and they have also agreed to exempt dangerous goods functions, booming of tankers, cruise gangway functions and vessel escort functions from any industrial action.
According to GAC, emergency response, vessel traffic services and other port officer functions (other than pilot cutter movements) will be required to continue as normal during this period of industrial action.
The industrial action is scheduled to take place as follows:
Six hour stoppages, from 0001 to 0600 and from 1200 to 1800 hours on Tuesday 28 April and six hour stoppages, from 0600 to 1200 hours and from 1800 to 2400 hours on Wednesday 29 April respectively.
World Maritime News Staff; Image: mts