Svitzer Australia’s planned lockout of harbour towage crews has been suspended for six months by the national industrial relations tribunal.
The plan by the AP Moller-Maersk towage company was due to come into force on Friday and would have affected operations across 17 Australian ports.
The Fair Work Commission ruled on Thursday that it was satisfied the lockout of maritime workers would cause “significant damage to the Australian economy”.
Svitzer Australia’s tugs secure the safe departure and arrival of more than 75% of the country’s trade, according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).
“We welcome this decision from the industrial court in Australia,” said Niek Stam, acting co-chair of the Fair Practices Committee Steering Group — the ITF’s highest meeting of maritime unions.
“But it should not require a judicial slapdown to remind a Maersk subsidiary that they cannot engage in such destructive, winner-takes-all workplace relations.
“Locking out a workforce is not social dialogue; it is not ‘investing in human capital’. Locking out key workers who have sacrificed so much for the Maersk Group’s profitability through this pandemic and supply chain crunch is brand suicide.”
Svitzer Australia said it “welcomed the certainty this brings to our customers and stakeholders. In the interim — all shipping and port operations continue.”
However, it warned that there may be minor disruptions around ports on Friday as maritime unions participate in demonstrations at multiple locations around the country.
Workers at Svitzer are represented by three unions, depending on the work performed: the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), the Australian Institute of Marine Power Engineers and the Australian Maritime Officers Union.
Svitzer had planned an indefinite lockout in response to what it described as “damaging” industrial action from the MUA.
