Patrick's Enterprise Agreement:
The battle continues
by Warren Smith Negotiations are underway between the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and Patrick Stevedoring for a new Enterprise Agreement (EA) at Patrick facilities nationwide. This is the first EA to be negotiated between Patrick and the MUA since the agreement between the two parties that arose out of the massive 1998 waterfront dispute. The company represented by anti-union zealot and class warrior Chris Corrigan and his attack dog Bill Clayton are out after more conditions from the workers. The outcome of the negotiations will be a major determining factor in all forthcoming agreements on the waterfront. Both Corrigan and Clayton played a major role in the conspiracy to oust MUA labour from the waterfront. Corrigan and Clayton have gone straight for the jugular with attacks on permanency. They are obviously happy to see more casual workers on the waterfront with no job security and complete irregularity of employment. The company has announced labour surpluses in a number of ports including Sydney and Brisbane. The MUA have, to their credit rejected the Patrick's claims of redundancy due to surpluses and are determined to maintain and strengthen the position in relation to permanency. The MUA are seeking to eliminate the supplementary (totally casual) and Guarantee Wage Employee (GWE guaranteed two days a week) forms of labour and have within the document only permanent and Permanent Part Time (PPT — guaranteed 35 hours a week) categories. The elimination of supplementary employment in particular would be a good victory for the union. The union is also seeking to have rosters implemented that will significantly reduce the irregular component within working cycles. The workers on the waterfront at present suffer from extremely flexible rosters that have severe implications for their health and safety and their family and social lives. Another positive step is an in-principle agreement that the workers in the conventional stevedoring area at Darling Harbour and the terminal area at Port Botany will be pooled and will service both areas. There is also a planned facility to clean and prepare imported cars prior to their removal from the waterfront that will come under the terms of the EA and will be worked by MUA labour. This is a small step away from the excessive breaking up of the workforce employed by the same company that has occurred in recent times. It is not yet a challenge to the negative concept of Enterprise employment but is a step in the right direction, which can also hopefully be implemented at other companies. The likely outcome of the negotiations at this stage is unknown, as there are still considerable differences between the parties. No formal bargaining period has been entered into at this stage so there is no indication of any protected action being taken. Whether action will be considered in the future is also unknown. If the company continues to pedal a hard line and insists upon further job losses and reductions in conditions, there may be no alternative but to enter into a bargaining period and taking firm industrial action. Various kinds of coordinated action upon the jobs could also be used to sway the employers. What can be guaranteed is that in dealing with the likes of Corrigan the MUA negotiating team, which has considerable rank and file participation, is in for a hard time. Corrigan's offsider, former P&O employee Clayton, has a poor reputation amongst the workers and the union and will be out to serve his master with the best possible outcome for the company. The best possible outcome for the company is of course the worst possible outcome for the workers. The importance of these negotiations is paramount for all workers on the waterfront and it is essential that gains be made for the Patrick workers lest the employers drive the whole industry toward a race to the bottom.