Tag: MUA

MUA 's work to improve safety The MUA is continuing its work to improve safety on the nation's waterfronts. Wharves are dangerous worksites, and the union is committed to seeing real change to improve occupational health and safety regulationThe union's latest edition of 'Working Safe' is attached below. It gives members an update on where we are at in our push for a National Stevedoring Code of Practice.The Safe Work Australia Stevedoring Temporary Advisory Group (TAG) meeting was held on 27th September in Melbourne.After over 12 months of work on the TAG, the latest meeting concluded with a recommendation to go to the Government Department for a Stevedoring Code of Practice (SCOP) to be inserted into the OHS Harmonised Act.Below are some points relating to this recommendation:The current SWA Stevedoring Guidance material will form the basis of a SCOP;The current SWA Stevedoring Guidance material will be reviewed over the same period to ensure provisions are suitable to be applied as a SCOP;The agreed Gaps report adopted at the TAG Working Group will be included in the SCOP; andThe interpretation in the Act/Regulations for Enclosed /Confined spaces don't reflect areas such as ships holds/crane cabins etc. These areas will be referred ...

MUA claims this will improve the training and employment conditions for seafarers The Maritime Union of Australia has welcomed COAG's decision to make AMSA the sole maritime regulator as a win for safety and training across the industry.MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin said that if properly implemented, the reform will deliver seafarers improved training and employment pathways."The Federal Government, and particularly Minister Anthony Albanese, deserve credit for steering this crucial reform through COAG, with the assistance of the states and the Northern Territory," Mr Crumlin said."This will allow seafarers to move seamlessly around the nation, ensuring their qualifications and licenses are recognised anywhere in Australia."AMSA also has the potential to improve safety for seafarers across the nation, by introducing the highest possible standard to all jurisdictions."Mr Crumlin said the MUA now looked forward to seeing the intergovernmental agreement that will give effect to the decision.He said today's decision was a major step forward in implementing the broader agenda of maritime reform."Along with shipping reform, ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention and a National Ports Strategy, this government has shown it has the appetite for much needed industry reform."Source: MUA

Weekly radiation screening of used vehicles in shipments Thanks to continued lobbying and work by the MUA, ARPANSA - Australia's nuclear safety authority - are planning to continue selective screening of imports of used cars from Japan.This is a great win for the union who have been campaigning for ongoing screening of car imports since the Fukushima disaster.ARPANSA will undertake weekly radiation screening of used vehicles in shipments arriving in Brisbane, Port Kembla, Melbourne and Fremantle."This is a great win for the union," said Assistant National Secretary Warren Smith."We've been campaigning on this issue for months."Whilst a batch screen of new cars was undertaken there is no knowing which part of Japan imported used cars come from."Ongoing screening will ensure that our members and the public are not put at risk."Source: MUA

Australian ships on the domestic ship register will be further disadvantaged The Maritime Union of Australia has welcomed the long-awaited carbon price package, which provides certainty to workers,their families and industry as the nation shifts towards a low-carbon economy.The package for a fixed carbon price of $23 a tonne, to begin in mid-2012, begins the process for taking real action on climate change.The MUA supports the carbon package as a balanced approach that starts the process of tackling climate change and moving the economy towards one that reduces pollution and relies less on carbon-emitting technologies, MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin said.In addition, the compensation package ensures that many of our members and their families, as well as retired members who are now pensioners, will not be penalised by the changes.The package includes a Jobs and Competitiveness Program for emissions-intensive trade-exposed industries and special measures for industries such as steel, gassy coal mining, and electricity.We expect little change to the export of coal, and the maintenance of a strong steel industry in Australia which is good news for our members, Mr Crumlin said.We also welcome the creation of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to help drive investment in clean technologies -some ...

Comrade Crumlin reports that the AMOU is fully participating in the Compact discussions National Secretary Paddy Crumlin reports that the union has now held three rounds of discussions (29 April, 30 May and 15 July) with the shipowners on the matters that might be included in a Labour Relations Compact to underpin shipping reform.Comrade Crumlin reports that the AMOU is fully participating in the Compact discussions but so far AIMPE has not participated.Comrade Crumlin has consistently reported that it is important for members to be aware that when the Minister announced a shipping reform package he indicated it is conditional on a compact between industry and unions to deliver productivity and efficiency reforms to better align practices in the Australian shipping industry with international best practice. The Government announced this will need to be substantially accomplished by mid 2012, and should include at least the following:Ship based cost reduction targets, including work practice productivity andefficiency gains;A process to review minimum manning levels by shipowners, the maritime unions and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, to determine the optimum operational crewing levels on board vessels that do not compromise safety or environmental outcomes; andIntroduction of riding gangs on board vessels involved in ...

These workers were being paid around $3 an hour The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and Australian Workers Union (AWU) have welcomed the decision by the Fair Work Ombudsman to prosecute three companies, and one company director, over more than Aus$120,000 in alleged underpayments of four Filipino nationals who worked on oilrigs off Western Australia.Union activists members of the MUA-AWU Offshore Alliance discoveredthat these workers were being paid around $3 an hour, less than a high school student working at McDonald's, says the Alliance.Paul Howes, AWU national secretary, said that foreign workers on Australias offshore oilrigs, must be treated with respect and decency, and able to earn the same wages Australians would expect for the job.Source: ITF

Ports of Australia and AMSA support the union's push for radiation testing The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) will this week screen cars arriving in Port Kembla from Japan.This batch test for radiation follows months of campaigning by the MUA to ensure Japanese cargo and cars were screened for radiation upon arrival in Australia."This is a win for workers, and also a win for the Australian public," said Assistant National Secretary Warren Smith."Any risk of radiation is too big a risk to take. Workers and consumers come into direct contact with these cars - the Government watchdog must ensure there is no health and safety risk."The Australian public has a right to know if there is a radiation threat."In early May, cars arriving in Chile from Japan were found to be contaminated with radiation. Despite this, ARPANSA refused to commit to scanning cargo until today, after long-running talks with Maritime Union officials."We know from the tragedy in Japan that people are feeling the effects of radiation hundreds of kilometers away from the destroyed nuclear plant. We can't take the risk of contaminating workers," said Mr Smith."All we have been asking is for cargo to be tested before ...

The union should guarantee no further strikes, bans or limitations of any kind The Maritime Union of Australia has recommended that industrial action at container ports in Sydney, Brisbane and Fremantle be called off, the union said in a statement, citing concerns in the farming community, Reuters reports.The union, fighting for arbitration to be included in their new pay agreement with ports operator Patrick, owned by Asciano , imposed limited work bans and no overtime at some Patrick's operations this week.Patrick responded on Wednesday by standing down workers."Patrick has chosen to escalate this dispute by unilaterally closing down its container terminals, which was never intended by the MUA," National Secretary of the MUA Paddy Crumlin said."We've listened to the concerns of the rural community and responded accordingly," he added.Asciano shaved its full-year earnings forecast by up to 0.7 percent on Thursday due to the dispute with dockers.It said its revenue outlook would fall by up to A$8 million and its earnings before interest and tax would be up to A$4 million lower than its March forecast of full-year EBIT between A$530 million and A$540 million.Patrick welcomed the decision by the union to lift its industrial action but said that the ...

Affects the ports of Brisbane, Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney A seven-day strike by industrial workers has started at four Australian container terminals, where containerised trade has been temporarily disrupted. The strike led by Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) from Wednesday has affected the ports of Brisbane, Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney.The strike is the result of a wage dispute between the workers and stevedoring firm Patrick. Patrick has requested that MUA enter voluntary conciliation, which would end the strike and allow the terminals to resume operations.A Patrick spokesperson said its shipping line customers warned that the cumulative loss for them will be over A$15m ($15.9m), while the disuprtion to the cotton industry will be over A$56m in lost revenue. The protest in the form of bans and limitations will stop the movement of approximately 50% of Australia's containerised trade, expected to directly impact 32 vessels and 35,000 shipping containers.Source: Seatrade Asia