Perth Voice Interactive

THE Maritime Union of Australia will strike this weekend over claims vulnerable workers are being exploited on a bunkering vessel at Fremantle Port.

The MUA’s WA branch say that workers aboard the Absolute, which is owned by multination oil and gas company BP, have had their pay cut by nearly $10,000 since marine services company Teekay took over operations midway through last year. 

The union says the workers are on “dodgy common law” contracts with “the worst conditions” of port operations on the west coast. 

That came after the Absolute returned from southeast Asia where it had gone for repairs, with the union saying it was “unpalatable” the cheaper labourers used for that work also sailed the vessel back to Fremantle.

BP then awarded Teekay the contract for bunkering operations in the port, which is when the employment contracts were rolled out. 

The strike was due to begin yesterday morning (Friday, March 7). 

MUA deputy branch secretary Doug Heath said Teekay had offered some pay increases and better conditions, but the rates were still below those other MUA members enjoyed around WA’s coast.

“Teekay is probably the lowest paying vessel operator… we don’t see anything they do as resembling a standard that we want to reach. 

“The response that our members have taken is in response to Teekay repeatedly refusing to align with industry standards.” 

The MUA have enacted a ban on operating winches, bunkering cruise ships or ocean liners unless they have been in Fremantle for a minimum of three days, training employees, meeting with shore-based management without a union official present, and sending emails. 

There will also be a partial ban on crane operations. 

Mr Heath says BP and Teekay were handballing responsibility to each other.

“Teekay are telling us they signed a bad contract with BP that doesn’t allow them to pay industry standard rates to our members,” Mr Heath said. 

“We look at actions like that and shake our heads, because if they’re signing a contract with a multinational oil and gas company that doesn’t allow them to pay proper wages, they’ve completely messed it up.” 

Mr Heath say the MUA are “hopeful” they will come to a solution with both Teekay and BP, but the union’s position will be “locked in” when the strike begins. 

“The industrial action is going to commence and once it commences, the ability to compromise becomes less, so they’ve scored a bit of an own goal by not sorting it out early,” Mr Heath said. 

“We want to make sure that the end result is really good, so it’s got to be better than what it would be if we didn’t have to fight for it, so whatever we lose through strike action we’ll get back off Teekay and BP through the higher wages that we are going to get.” 

Teekay didn’t respond to questions.

by KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER