Tugboatdeckhands, represented by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), agreed todelay the threat of strike action late Thursday.
TheMUA said it would hold off industrial action for 30 days but would seek a30-day extension on an existing approval for a possible strike to allow moretime for talks with the tugboat operator, Teekay Shipping.
“Discussions between the two parties this weekhave been productive and both parties would like to see if we can reach anegotiated outcome without the need for industrial action,” Will Tracey, theMUA's West Australian secretary, said in a statement.
Reportssay the deckhands, who work for 28 days and then get 28 days off for AUD 135,000($124,400) a year, want more than a 20% pay hike and four weeks extra leave.
BHPBilliton and Fortescue Metals Group, Australia’s second and third largest ironore producers, have both slammed the union’s demands.
“There is something wrong with our industrialrelations laws when a small group of 45 people who would like to only work 22weeks a year and be paid a base rate about three times the base wage of a firstyear nurse...can hold to ransom an industry that generates more export earningsthan any other,” Fortescue chief executive Nev Power said in a statement.
Nearly all of Australia’s near 400mt of iron ore exportsare shipped from Port Hedland and the neighbouring Port of Dampier.
Iron ore is Australia’smost lucrative export with the Bureau for Resources and Energy Economicspredicting the commodity would be worth AUD 78.5bn ($72.8bn) to Australia thisyear.
