GrainCorp’s Carrington terminal is a major exporter of grain grown in northern New South Wales.

A BREAKDOWN in negotiations around an enterprise bargaining agreement is slowing grain-loading operations at GrainCorp’s Carrington terminal in Newcastle.

The 72-hour stoppage by the Electrical Trades Union and Maritime Union of Australia started at 7am today, and is impacting the loading of a 55,000-tonne wheat cargo bound for Indonesia which berthed yesterday and is due to sail on Friday.

The action has come in the last month of the grain-marketing year, and ahead of a bumper harvest in northern New South Wales, much of which will make its way to export via GrainCorp’s Carrington terminal and Qube’s adjacent Newcastle Agri Terminal.

The ETU and MUA have advised that workers stand ready to escalate if GrainCorp does not come back with an improved offer, and members will form a picket outside the Carrington terminal from 1230 today.

Unions seek greater pay increase

Disagreement is over a three-year EBA which offers MUA and ETU a 6-percent pay rise in the first year, followed by two 3pc-per-annum pay rises.

“Last year, managers pocketed 4.5pc pay increases, but the workforce that sweats on the job every day is told they’re worth less,” Maritime Union of Australia Newcastle branch secretary Glen Williams said.

“That’s corporate greed, pure and simple.”

Mr Williams said GrainCorp was on track to export 1.2 million tonnes of grain through Carrington alone this year, and that MUA members have been working “dozens of hours of overtime or weekend work every month”.

“Yet the workers who make it happen are being told to cop stagnant wages and be grateful.”

Among the claims the MUA is seeking is a fatigue day on the 14th day to ensure workers do not run into a second fortnight without having had a full day off.

The MUA and ETU have jointly accused GrainCorp management of hiding from negotiations, and refusing to return the unions’ calls ahead of the strike.

“Bosses are running scared,” ETU organiser Brad McDougall said.

“Instead of fronting up and bargaining in good faith, they’re ducking our calls and provoking the workforce to withdraw its labour.”

Mr Williams told Grain Central that the MUA has been bargaining with GrainCorp for more than two months, and has offered to enhance productivity through measures such as flexible start times to help shift big crops.

“We’re talking a 10 to 15,000-tonne-a-week productivity gain,” Mr Williams said.

“We think GrainCorp is being extremely unreasonable.”

MUA said the previous EBA expired in July, and GrainCorp was slow to come to the table to start negotiations about its successor.

GrainCorp response

GrainCorp refutes claims it has been ignoring calls from union representatives, and a spokesperson has told Grain Central the company was in regular contact with union representatives up until late last week.

“GrainCorp respects the right of our employees at Carrington to take protected industrial action and remains committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a resolution,” the spokesperson said.

“We have put forward a comprehensive offer, including a 12pc wage increase over the life of the proposed agreement, casual loading increased from 20pc to 25pc, up to five weeks’ annual leave for shiftworkers, and Saturday overtime paid at 200pc.

“We are continuing discussions with full transparency and are focused on achieving an agreement that recognises the value of our employees’ work, while maintaining a strong and reliable service for our customers.

“Our teams are taking steps to minimise any potential disruption to operations during this period, ensuring that export activity and other critical operations can continue safely and effectively.”

One loader working

MUA members operate GrainCorp Carrington’s shiploaders from the shore and on board vessels at the berth, and ETU members are fitters and electricians who attend to faults, breakdowns, and service requirements of conveyors and loaders.

While GrainCorp Carrington can have two or more shiploaders operating with MUA and ETU labour, Mr Williams said he understood management was able to operate one during the stoppage.

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