Jobs Doomed If Small Ports Stay Closed
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday April 28, 1998
The jobs of 280 protesting wharfies are still likely to go, even if a Federal Court order demanding Patrick reinstate its 1,400 maritime workers is successful.
Patrick said yesterday that it would not reopen its operations at Newcastle and Port Kembla in NSW, Bell Bay and Burnie in Tasmania, Geraldton in Western Australia and Alma in Queensland if the High Court threw out its appeal against the Federal Court ruling.
The Federal Court has said the company must rehire its union workers, but it is understood it cannot force Patrick to reopen the ports if it has already closed them.
The stevedore informed the Australian Stock Exchange on Friday the ports would remain closed for the "foreseeable future".
The company said it would only reopen the ports if it could hire non-union workers.
However, the MUA's assistant national secretary, Mr Vic Slater, said yesterday that the company had no alternative but to trade. "They have contractual obligations with the shipping companies and these are long-term agreements," he said.
Patrick's ports were quiet yesterday, with only Brisbane and Sydney docks expecting ships.
© 1998 Sydney Morning Herald
