11:50 p.m. Jun 22, 1998 Eastern
MELBOURNE, June 23 (Reuters) - The Melbourne branch of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) voted on Tuesday to endorse a peace deal with Patrick Stevedores following a bitter dispute earlier this year which disrupted national trade.
A union member told Reuters that the deal, which includes job and salary cuts but maintains the MUA grip on the watefront, had been accepted by a large majority of workers. The Melbourne meeting was the first of several planned around Australia on the proposed agreement.
Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited.
