MUA fined for unlawful industrial action

Both strikes, one in Fremantle in 2009 and the other in Broome in 2010, were considered to be unlawful because workers downed tools before their enterprise agreements had expired.

The MUA was fined $26,400 and two of its Western Australian branch officials, Chris Cain and William Tracey, were fined $2640 and $7260 respectively.

Mr Cain, Mr Tracey and the MUA were penalised in the Perth Federal Court yesterday following an investigation by the Fair Work Ombudsman.

In May 2009, 113 employees from DP World in Fremantle went on strike for about 24 hours in relation to possible redundancies.

Mr Tracey told the court yesterday that five days prior to the action he had talked with managers at DP World and said: “If we can’t amicably come to an agreement on the redundancies, there’ll be industrial action”.

During the hearing Mr Cain, Mr Tracey and the MUA admitted that they were involved in organising the unlawful action at Fremantle.

In March 2010, 15 employees from the Broome Port Authority went on strike for 24 hours because “they had been disrespected”. Before the strike, Mr Tracey had told the chief executive officer at Broome Port that they would “bring the port to its knees”.

Mr Tracey and the MUA were fined over the incident.