After the Maritime Union Australia’s decision to commence work bans and limitations last Thursday for seven days, Patrick Stevedores, Australia's leading provider of port-related services to importers, exporters and shipping lines, said it would not be paying employees engage in planned work bans. With this, the union told PerthNow that Fremantle wharfies would take industrial action if the company insists to do so.

Whether or not the company decides to pay its employees, Fremantle Port would come to a close due to the industrial work bans and limitations the union had planned, said the spokeswoman of Patrick Stevedores.

The spokeswoman further explained that under Fair Work Australia, the company is not obliged to pay them as they would not be working to their full ability.

“They can’t work in accordance with what they’re actually employed to do. We rely on the flexibility of our labor; we are absolutely heavily reliant on an individual being able to move from one piece of equipment to the next. Operationally we’re already at a halt with the bans, irrespective if we pay them or not… it’s physically impossible to conduct work under those bans and limitations,” she said.

The spokeswoman claimed the company had been trying to contact the union on Monday and Tuesday without success. It also sent MUA a letter asking the latter to go back before Fair Work Australia for conciliation which is due to be organized before Wednesday.

A 5 per cent increase per year for three consecutive years was offered by the company to the workers. However, that offer was subject to “international benchmarks for productivity” explained during an employees’ meeting.

“We’re not talking about people working harder; this is about people working more productively. If we’re achieving it in East Swanson dock in Melbourne, I can’t understand why it would not be achievable in Fremantle,” she said.