Hutchison Ports Australia, which operates international container terminals in Sydney’s Port Botany and the Port of Brisbane, is facing protected industrial action involving rolling stoppages and overtime bans, after a ballot last week saw 98 per cent of workers vote in favour of action.

According to reports today across Australia’s major newspapers, the strikes are in response to the port operator’s attempts to reduce excessive labour costs which have contributed to poor financial performance, including a $50 million loss in 2017.

The Australian Financial Review (link) reports that stevedores under the current agreement earn on average about $150,000 and enjoy five weeks’ paid annual leave, an extra six weeks for time in lieu and can cash out their sick leave.

Hutchison has sought to “cut super, redundancy and long service leave and impose a year-long wage freeze” as well as “introduce greater flexibility to rosters where stevedores can be paid to do little in between erratic shipments,” writes David Marin-Guzman.

A spokesperson for the company told fellow Fairfax staple Sydney Morning Herald (link) that it “continues to negotiate in good faith with the union”.

“But the company’s position remains that it needs a more flexible workforce to improve its economic position and keep people employed,” the spokesperson said.

The company has reportedly sought to delay the industrial action through a “last-ditch” application for Fair Work Commission orders.

The Australian newspaper noted the Hutchison Port industrial action coincides with a seven-day strike taking place at Wongawilli Colliery near Port Kembla (read AREEA’s related story here).

Employers have raised concerns about separate divisions of the merged CFMMEU seemingly coordinating strikes to pressure the Australian Labor Party to make “big changes” to workplace laws.

To discuss this matter or any other issues related to mitigating the threat of coordinated industrial action in the resources and energy supply chain, contact [email protected].