Patrick Terminals update on MUA enterprise agreement 14/01/22

We have received the below update from Patrick Terminals regarding the current status of the enterprise agreement with the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA):

As per our communication on 26 October 2021, Patrick Terminals applied to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to terminate the current enterprise agreement with the MUA. It had become evident that the current agreement was no longer fit for purpose. A number of operational restrictions within the current agreement limit Patrick Terminals' ability to service our customers' requirements and meet the needs of the ever-changing supply chain landscape.

The removal of these operational restrictions would allow Patrick Terminals to:

• Recruit additional employees without the need for agreement from the union
• Determine the composition of the workforce to best meet the operational requirements of Patrick Terminals
• Select employees for training and promotion based on merit and operational requirements rather than union dictated selection criteria that focus on the length of service only
• Remove complex union driven requirements regarding ‘order of pick’ which restrict Patrick allocating to meet operational needs that arise from fluctuating volumes and shipping schedules
• Remove union vetos on headcount
• Remove union restrictions on the implementation of new technologies and upgrades

The matter is now listed for hearing across three days in the FWC from Thursday 27th January. The FWC will then make a judgement, after due consideration, which may mean the outcome is unknown for several months. Patrick Terminals has provided an undertaking that pay rates and rosters for employees would remain unchanged for a period of six months post any decision to terminate the agreement in order to minimise any disruptions for our customers.

We appreciate the patience and support of our customers throughout this process and these legal proceedings. We will keep you with any outcomes from the FWC hearing.

Should you have any enquiries relating to specific bookings, please contact our Customer teams.