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Tuesday 20 September 2011

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[COMPANY] - MERMAID MARINE AUSTRALIA LIMITED [SECTION] - General News - Marine [REGION] - Australia [RELATED STORY] - Mermaids union stoush: round three - Dampier strike comes to an end [OTHER] - Printable Version

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Mermaids union stoush: Round two

Thursday, 28 July 2011 James McGrath

THE Maritime Union of Australia has savaged Mermaid Marine over an ongoing industrial dispute at the companys Dampier supply base, lashing out at claims by Mermaid that fresh action would not have an impact on operations.
The fresh action comes after 30 workers at the companys base walked off the job earlier this month over stalled negotiations to compensate workers for higher living costs in the region. Workers will now walk off the base tomorrow at 6am until 6am on Thursday, but the company said in a statement to the market that the proposed action is not expected to impact upon MMAs slipway or vessel operations.

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Dampier Supply Base Courtesy of Mermaid Marine

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MUA northwest organiser Doug Heath told EnergyNewsBulletin the dispute was misleading, and it had shut down stevedoring operations at the base for most of the past two weeks. Clients of MMA are obviously deeply concerned about the industrial dispute with MMA and have made decisions to move their businesses to Port Hedland and Broome, he said. Other clients such as Santos, BHP and Hess are also gravely concerned about the escalating industrial dispute. Heath said Mermaid Marines share value had dipped 2.7% on the Australian Securities Exchange yesterday among broader losses, a sign the market was starting to become concerned about the prospect of a drawn out dispute. As reported by ENB earlier this month, the dispute centres around what the union sees as inadequate compensation for higher living costs in current enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations. Heath said the union had put forward a proposal to allow talks to go forward, and at this stage the ball was in Mermaid Marines court as to whether the company would agree to the interim position proposed by MUA or set the stage for a protracted industrial dispute. It is understood the two parties will meet today to go through the interim agreement. In an open letter addressed to Mermaid Marines chief executive officer Jeff Weber, the union attacked the company for insisting that negotiations take place via video link and telephone, with MMA human resources representatives in Fremantle, south of Perth, while the workers remained in Dampier. While it is believed the company was prepared to fly workers to Fremantle to negotiate face to face, the union said the offer was conditional upon it dropping the action. It also said an offer of a 4% annual pay rise had been taken off the table after MUA members rejected an earlier offer. However, the union claimed even a 4% offer would be unfair, as the average Consumer Price Index rate in the Pilbara region was closer to 35%. Earlier this month, Mermaid Marine rejected the claims of the MUA. The letter also outlined the employees confusion about why they couldnt be paid near the same rates as others doing work for Chevrons Gorgon project, saying that others doing the same work on Barrow Island and Henderson are being covered by a Gorgon Allowance. ENB has contacted Mermaid Marine for comment and while it was unable to provide a response by deadline, we will keep you apprised of developments.

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