The latest confrontation between the Maritime Union of Australia and Patrick Stevedores in the Port of Melbourne is now firmly linked to the Dubai "industrial mercenaries" fiasco, after revelations by Patrick's chairman on Australian TV.
MUA wharfies have been picketting 3 berths at Webb Dock since last week, when Patrick leased No. 5 Dock to the non-union firm Producers and Consumers Stevedores Pty Ltd, who intend to operate it on behalf of the National Farmers Federation.
In December, the Federation openly attacked the MUA and supported the use of non-union labour in principle.
At the time, Patrick's chairman and chief executive Chris Corrigan explicitly and repeatedly denied any connection or knowledge of the Dubai training scheme.
Even after evidence surfaced that Patrick had obtained riot shields indirectly from a company whose director helped organise the Dubai training, Corrigan continued his denials. Former SAS officer Peter Kilfoyle was identified in December as a director of International Port Services Training Group, which intended to train recruits in Dubai, and Fynwest, their prospective employer in Australia. More recently, the Melbourne based security firm FBIS International obtained riot shields for Patrick Stevedores via Mr. Kilfoyle.
But on 3 Feb the Patrick Stevedores boss told Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV a new story. Corrigan now stated that in September, Patrick had agreed to lease Webb No. 5 Dock to an un-named consortium backing the Fynwest-Dubai plans. He had also agreed to sell two straddle carriers for use in Dubai, though these were never delivered as the scheme collapsed when the ITF gave the Dubai government 24 hours to expel the recruits or face an immediate world-wide blockade.
According to the Australian Financial Review, both the Maritime Union of Australia and the Australian Congress of Trade Unions believe Corrigan himself was the backer of the Dubai exercise and that once the venture failed he approached the National Farmers Federation to take up the union-busting plan. While partially admitting the Dubai connection, Corrigan immediately ended the Melbourne lockout and ordered his employees to return to work by 7 am on 4 Feb. The MUA is demanding Corrigan answer further questions about Dubai, the National Farmers Federation, and job security before a negotiated return to work. The dispute is now expected to move to the industrial tribunals and courts.
LabourNet report
