Employment Relations for Organizational Effectiveness

Reports on the 1990s industrial dispute between Patrick Stevedores and the Maritime Union of Australia.

This paper analyzes the causes of the industrial dispute between Patrick Stevedores and the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), identifies different perspectives of the conflict, details the type of industrial action taken, describes the resolution process, and discusses the various costs and benefits, which were brought about as a result of the industrial dispute.
“Case Study: The trade union of the Shield Cement Company believed that the government had conspired to remove them from the cement industry. According to trade union, the Shield Company used this opportunity to sack their existing workforce and restart their operations with a new probably the non-union workforce, perhaps with some former employees, who might be selectively re-employed. The union claimed that the Shield Company, which also employed other government employees, had unlawfully conspired to sack an entire workforce solely belonging to union, which was breach of the Workplace Relations Act, introduced by the government. After sometime all 1600 men on Shield’s company full-time payroll, all of who were members of the trade union were sacked and replaced by non-union workers. The union was also frustrated by the fact that the government had manipulated the public over two years of coalition rule into believing that the wharves were cheat. Due to these reasons, the union and its members decide to undertake industrial action to convey their message to the public and media and reversing the unfair decisions made by the Shield’s management. The underlying purpose of the Union is also to exhibit its powers and remain as a controlling force in the cement industry.”