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Despite all these efforts, we are still projected to face shortages in the upcoming weeks, months and into the new year. The Union has been working with the rank and file and needs to consider all available op- tions before these operators resort to foreign labour instead of Australian seafarers, as has been done with the Aegir. Woodside put Aussie crew on the sidelines for Foreign Workers The Aeigir has been engaged by Woodside to work on a global first decommissioning project, focusing on the removal of a riser turret mooring from the En- field project.
The issue for OSM was that our members were pre- pared to step up and have crack, only OSM cracked first and folded to our claims as they understood PIA was going to disrupt their organisation like nothing we have seen in our space before. If we had gone down this route, everything would have been back on the negotiating table, and we would have gone the extra mile until they folded. A Heap of Work on the Coast and Not Enough Bodies Upcoming work with various companies has seen a surge in our sector, including Solstad, AOS, Atlas, Go Offshore, OSM, and MMA. Notable vessels include the Normand Australis, Casterone, several Bulk car- riers (for the Saipem job), x3 Subsea 7 vessels, Van Oord rock Dumper, plus a heap more. There is not only a shortage of seafarers, but a short- age of vessels globally, meaning that substandard vessels are entering our coast. As lower-quality ves- sels do enter the coast, the MUA is giving our mem- bers full support in stopping the job to address safe- ty concerns. The boom in activity on our coast has led to crew shortages, with MUNZ crew entering the coast to assist in filling IR and some catering positions. The Union is trying to get the Labour Agreement off the ground to allow for the UK seafarers from the RMT to enter our space as well, however, this is taking longer than expected. TIRs are being expedited through their 4-month training to become PIRs and help address labour shortages. The MUA has been getting as many IRs who have left the industry to undergo revalidation through METL and offshore employers. By the end of this year, we will be close to having 40 IRs revalidat- ed, and we are aware of another 40 prepared to be revalidated which should occur early in the new year.
The Offshore EA Campaign has gained momentum, with key players like DOF, AOS, and Atlas securing agreements which are registered by the FWC.The MMA members overwhelmingly voted YES, and their agreement is now registered with the FWC. Solstad’s EA has also been voted on and is sitting with the FWC. Rigforce (RFM) have also gone to vote, and this agreement should be before the FWC already. Sodexo’s entry into the Transocean catering contract adds a new dimension to our industry. As they step into the Offshore marine space for the first time, ne- gotiations are underway to align terms with our oth- er Offshore EBA provisions, ensuring fairness across the board. So far discussions have been promising and we are set to reach agreement with them. Most operators are gradually aligning with our new agreement. Compass (ESS), Entier, Tidewater is all on track, and we anticipate having these agree- ments voted on and hopefully lodged by Christmas. Bhagwan has been reviewing the document and should also integrate into the broader industry agreement. However, challenges arise with Go Offshore & Fo- cus. Although Go Offshore pays a higher rate, they haven’t committed to locking it into an EBA, leaving room for change. They could, and likely will at some stage, remove the higher rates from their contracts and pay members less. Focus, on the other hand, has suggested that they want to vary their agreement to include the higher rate but do not want to meet other provisions we have secured across the industry. Both are on notice as we gear up our campaign against them.
This vessel was crewed top to bottom with overseas workers, and not an Australian seafarer in sight.
OSM EA Update
When we were briefed on the job, we were told that the vessel would only be in Australian waters for no more than 24 hours and given the vessel was not be- ing imported, nor is it planned to come alongside a wharf, Woodside can legally get away with this. Our national office has been briefed and are explor- ing all legal and political avenues in seeking to pre- vent these scenarios form occurring again.
OSM’s journey through the EA campaign has been tumultuous. Despite resistance from the start to the end, they eventually conceded to our terms. At- tempts to undermine our members backfired, and our members stood strong, securing what we be- lieve is the best agreement in the Offshore Oil and Gas space. The OSM membership remained committed, ready for a prolonged battle. War on the Water seemed inevitable with OSM, given their handling of negotiations. Their attempt to steal the 1.5% wage increase we secured in our interim EA was met with resistance, and OSM eventually folded to our claims. OSM had been playing games from the outset, in- cluding dragging their feet in commencing negotia- tions, and forcing our members to undergo a major- ity support decision. They were also uncooperative through bargaining, challenging our protected ac- tion ballot. They were the only manning agency that produced a company log of claims, and they refused to address several of our claims. To add insult to in- jury they also sought to steal the 1.5% wage increase we secured in our interim EA. These b**tards even went as far as threatening our members employment, stating that they would move all perms to a single vessel and insinuating that the casuals would be left to find employment on the Siem boats with another employer.
The fact of the matter is that none of our members would be prepared to be used as scab labor.
George Gakis Assistant Branch Secretary george.gakis@mua.org.au 0412 310 686
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