Zero hours contracts at Tilbury docks at the centre of 48-hour stoppage / Safe Work Australia

A move by the hardline management of SCA Logistics, based at Tilbury docks, to drive down wages by introducing zero hours contracts, has provoked a two day strike. 

The dockers, members of Unite, the country’s largest union, started a 48-hour stoppage at 06.00 today (Tuesday 27 May) in the dispute which the union fears could see the permanent workforce being replaced by lower paid agency/casual workers on zero hours contracts. 

Unite regional officer Jane Jeffery said: “If this is allowed to happen, we will be turning the clock back 50 years to the bad old days when you had to rely on the tap on the shoulder to see if you had work for the day in the docks. 

“Only today, the call will come on your mobile – but the culture will be the same, low waged and insecure employment. Wages could drop substantially, while the cost of living continues to rise.” 

Unite said that a collective agreement is in place which allowed a certain percentage of agency workers, but this was being severely undermined  by the ongoing replacement of permanent trained dockers, who number about 24, by even more agency/casual staff.  

Jane Jeffery said: “Although the action is for 48-hours, our members are being denied overtime and prevented from booking holidays. Agency labour is being used to cover their duties and working 14 hour days in order to do so.  

“It seems that the management of the Swedish-owned SCA Logistics is hell-bent on antagonising and prolonging the dispute, instead of reaching a settlement through discussion and negotiation. 

“Unite will strongly resist the very real threat of the workforce at this company becoming 100 per cent employed on zero hours contracts.” 

The strike will only hit vessels being serviced by SCA Logistics at Tilbury. 

Tilbury Dockers have announced an 11 day strike starting 5th June.

Dock workers go on strike over zero hour contract threat

Dock workers go on strike over zero hour contract threat

WORKERS at the Port of Tilbury went on strike over plans by a Swedish firm to introduce zero hour contracts.

The two-day strike by port workers represented by union Unite, which stared today, only hit ships serviced by Swedish-owned SCA Logistics, whose UK base is at the port.

Unite is fearful that the 24-strong permanent workforce at the firm could be replaced by lower paid agency, or casual, workers on zero hours contracts.

Jane Jeffery, Unite regional officer, said: “If this is allowed to happen, we will be turning the clock back 50 years to the bad old days when you had to rely on the tap on the shoulder to see if you had work for the day in the docks.

“Only today, the call will come on your mobile – but the culture will be the same, low-waged and insecure employment. Wages could drop substantially, while the cost of living continues to rise.”

An agreement is currently in place at the firm allowing for a certain percentage of agency workers to be used.

But Unite claim this is being undermined by the ongoing replacement of permanent trained dockers, who currently number about 24, by even more agency and casual staff.

Ms Jeffery added: “It seems that the management of SCA Logistics is hell-bent on antagonising and prolonging the dispute, instead of reaching a settlement through discussion and negotiation.”

*SCA Logistics had not responded to the Thurrock Gazette’s request for a comment at the time of going to press.

sca-logistics

Workers stage strike at Tilbury stevedore

Workers at Tilbury-based, Swedish-owned paper handler, SCA Logistics are staging a 48-hour strike in protest over new zero hours contracts. The Unite trade union says it fears the permanent workforce could be replaced by lower paid agency or casual workers. Unite regional officer Jane Jeffery said move would turn the clock back 50 years “to the bad old days when you had to rely on the tap on the shoulder to ... [+]

Safety code rejection angers dock union

Dock workers have launched a fierce attack on industry bosses for trashing a proposed safety code just eight days after an employee was crushed to death on Melbourne's wharves.

Toll Shipping worker Anthony Attard, 42, was helping load cargo on board a vessel docked at the Port of Melbourne on May 20, when he was run over by a trailer. Paramedics rushed to the waterfront but could not revive him.

The father-of-three's death followed a recent run of accidents seriously injuring other waterside workers and sparked renewed calls for the tougher safety laws to be introduced.

''When I started, he told me, 'Have eyes at the back of your head, and keep a look out','' said Mr Attard's brother, James, who worked with him at the port. ''And he was one of the most careful guys there.

''Working with heavy machinery every day, it's dangerous. Safety should be No. 1, no matter where you work.''

A stevedoring code of practice - intended to replace national guidance material - is being developed by Safe Work Australia through a working group of regulators, stevedoring companies and the union.

But the Australian Logistics Council this week criticised the draft code, saying it should ''not go ahead at all''.

The Maritime Union of Australia on Friday called the council's comments ''disgraceful'', showing ''just how little regard'' the stevedores industry had for worker safety.

''This month, we have seen yet another worker killed on our waterfront in what was another preventable accident,'' assistant union secretary Warren Smith said. ''His workforce were completely and totally traumatised … these people have had their hearts ripped out. And to have the logistics council come out a week after one of our mates has died on the job and want to reduce waterfront safety is just unacceptable and we are abhorred.''

Mr Smith said the fact that Mr Attard's employer, Toll Holdings, sits on the board of the Australian Logistics Council ''makes this call all the more disgusting''.

''Companies can say safety is the priority - they can put it on the sleeves of our shirts, on the bottom of their emails - but when push comes to shove, we know profits come before people.''

The maritime union, of which Mr Attard was a delegate, said national statistics showed the death rate per 100,000 workers was 14 times higher on the wharves than in any other Australian workforce, and more than double that of the army.

Safe Work Australia said the draft national stevedoring code aimed to strengthen regulations about managing hazards when loading and unloading cargo, stacking on the wharf, and receiving and delivering cargo within terminals to ''better address risk in the stevedoring industry''.

Australian Logistics Council managing director Michael Kilgariff said it was committed to improving safety across the supply chain, but the draft code ''misunderstood'' how the stevedoring industry worked in Australia. He said many of the issues were already covered by international marine orders, workplace health and safety laws, and other codes of practice.

''Fundamentally, in [the council's] view, the safe work practice was driven more by the requirements of some in the industry, rather than what was best for safety in industry.''

Australian Council of Trade Unions president Ged Kearney said every worker had the right to return home safely each day.

A Toll Group spokesman said an investigation into Mr Attard's death was under way.