Media Contact: Minna Knight
M: 0407636153 E: minna.knight@amma.org.au
Australian Mines and Metals Association
Friday, 4 December 2009
AMMA MEDIA RELEASE
MUA union bosses threatening livelihoods of thousands
Australia’s peak mining and resources employer body, AMMA, has revealed today union bosses
in charge of the MUA are now
recklessly
forcing workers to go out on strike against
more
employers involved in the offshore oil and gas industry in Western Australia.
“Last week it was Farstad
and this week
they are
targeting
Total Marine Services and Go
Offshore.”
AMMA Chief Executive, Steve Knott, said the latest strike activity, set to shut down offshore
vessel operations for 48 hours at Total Marine Services
from Friday, was a worrying
development that had the potential to threaten the livelihoods of thousands of other hard
working Australians and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The MUA
has also obtained a further ballot order from Fair Work Australia for strike action
against another employer, Go Offshore.
"I think most fair minded Australians would be asking themselves how anyone could justify
asking for such an outlandish pay rise, particularly at a time of such economic uncertainty."
"The bosses of the MUA Western Australian division appear prepared to stop at nothing in
pursuit of unsustainable pay increases and allowances of up to $3500 per week ($90 000 per
annum) on top of an existing minimum salary of at least $100 000." Mr Knott said.
“The MUA has already been offered increases by these employers of over 25%
on top of
current salaries, yet it’s still not enough.”
Mr Knott said the average Australian worker currently receives $62,500 a year.
"They work just as hard, and in some cases, even harder than members of the MUA, yet we
don't see these employees demanding unsustainable pay rises" Mr Knott said,
"Particularly
when you consider they already earn nearly double what the average Australian worker does."
The MUA is
also demanding that $45 per day, for each employee is to be deposited into a
separate union managed fund.
Mr Knott said there are a growing number of employers across the entire
sector who were
genuinely afraid the MUA was clearly determined to scuttle the entire industry
at a time of in
pursuit of a completely unrealistic pay rise for a select few -
at the cost of job creation and
security of employment for every other worker involved in the sector.
Media Contact: Minna Knight
M: 0407636153 E: minna.knight@amma.org.au
"Every day the MUA union bosses demand these workers go out on strike, thousands of other
workers are also affected.
Projects get delayed, employers are forced to postpone plans and
investors start to question why unions such as the MUA get away with holding the Australian oil
and gas sector to ransom.”
Media Contacts / Further Information:
AMMA
Minna Knight
0407636153
Farstad
Joe Homsey
0412458423
Total Marine Services
Michael Llewellyn
0419020131
NEWS 
