Stevedoring giant, Hutchison Ports, has lost an eleventh-hour bid to force its employees to delay a wave of industrial action, including rolling strikes set to afflict its Australian port terminals from Thursday.
Unionised employees of Hutchison Ports in Sydney and Brisbane have voted to begin a series of “broad-ranging” industrial action – such as bans on specific duties and overtime, and a range of work stoppages – amid deadlocked negotiations with management over the terms of a new wage agreement.
This comes after employer demands, including a $10-an-hour pay cut, a 2.5 per cent cut to superannuation and cuts to sick and paid parental leave, described as the “most severe attack in a generation”.