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MUA union bosses threatening livelihoods of thousands

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AUSTRALIA’S peak mining and resources employer body, AREEA, has revealed today union bosses in charge of the MUA are now recklessly forcing workers to go out on strike against more employers involved in the offshore oil and gas industry in Western Australia.

“Last week it was Farstad and this week they are targeting Total Marine Services and Go Offshore.”

AREEA Chief Executive Steve Knott said the latest strike activity, set to shut down offshore vessel operations for 48 hours at Total Marine Services from Friday, was a worrying development that had the potential to threaten the livelihoods of thousands of other hard working Australians and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The MUA has also obtained a further ballot order from Fair Work Australia for strike action against another employer, Go Offshore.

“I think most fair minded Australians would be asking themselves how anyone could justify asking for such an outlandish pay rise, particularly at a time of such economic uncertainty.”

“The bosses of the MUA Western Australian division appear prepared to stop at nothing in pursuit of unsustainable pay increases and allowances of up to $3,500 per week ($90,000 per annum) on top of an existing minimum salary of at least $100,000”, Mr Knott said.

“The MUA has already been offered increases by these employers of over 25 per cent on top of current salaries, yet it’s still not enough.”

Mr Knott said the average Australian worker currently receives $62,500 a year.

“They work just as hard, and in some cases, even harder than members of the MUA, yet we don’t see these employees demanding unsustainable pay rises”, Mr Knott said, “Particularly when you consider they already earn nearly double what the average Australian worker does.”

The MUA is also demanding that $45 per day for each employee is to be deposited into a separate union-managed fund.

Mr Knott said there are a growing number of employers across the entire sector who were genuinely afraid the MUA was clearly determined to scuttle the entire industry in pursuit of a completely unrealistic pay rise for a select few – at the cost of job creation and security of employment for every other worker involved in the sector.

“Every day the MUA union bosses demand these workers go out on strike, thousands of other workers are also affected. Projects get delayed, employers are forced to postpone plans and investors start to question why unions such as the MUA get away with holding the Australian oil and gas sector to ransom.”

ENDS

Download AREEA Media Release here.

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