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It is notable that the Branch has correctly given credit for days. It is time for the membership across the industry to
the work of the current staff during the difficult times with Unite and take up the fight with Go-Offshore. Protected
so many officials on leave and a tiring associated action ballots MUS be supported. We MUST get this
workload. It’s a pity such recognition was not forthcoming provision right.! DOF is rumoured to seek to apply the
during the period July 2019 through to June 2020, as same tactics. Below is an advertisement allegedly from
events during that period could well have been avoided. Go-Offshore, usr another manning agency. Don’t apply.

Ongoing issues yet to be resolved.

Equally, disillusioned members remind the readers of the
Newsletter issues that remain unattended and
unresolved, dating back to 2020. Below are some of
them.

1. The on-off Special Meeting. Agreed July 2020.
2. Charges against P. Gallagher from August 2020.
3. Minutes of one BMM meeting still in abeyance and
never finalised, and several differing months BMM
minutes ‘can’t be found’ along with the actual official
th
minute book”. CFMMEU A newspaper report (June 9 ) headlined
4. All the relevant issues and reports around the Bug “Setka allies hit out and CFMEU’s O’Connor outlines
Affair Union figures intervened in an internal CFMEU election to
5. Mike Barber’s ‘Appeal’ awaits an outcome. attack long-time leader Michael O’Connor and call for him
to get the boot! Setka is reported to be backing a ticket
W.A. Offshore Update. of some 11 candidates to challenge positions in the
Go offshore EA negotiations, the FWC approved to ballot Manufacturing sector of which O’Connor is the Divisional
members to take protected action, urging a ‘vote yes’. Secretary.
And starts next week It is believed Go Offshore intend to
replace their current casuals with casuals from a manning This is a new intervention in the current civil war engulfing
agency. Members are urged to be vigilant and keep the the CFMMEU. The Setka backed ‘Members first ticket’ is
office informed the company sends its MUA members. headed by Arturo Menon a senior Queensland
Go Offshore recently sought to have member ‘pay for the construction organiser, includes “some drawn from 83
transport to and from the vessel from and to the security ineligible members in NSW timber mills who switched
gate. membership to the Queensland construction branch in
2019.
Atlas EBA voted up and lodged with FWC with key
conditions that secure dead days whilst working on board The federal Court was informed that while the NSW
an oil and gas vessel. Atlas members have voted to retain timber workers had paid union fees for the 3 years, none
Protect as their income protection and severance of those fees made it to the CFMEU’s manufacturing
provider. division and as a result they could not vote in its upcoming
elections”. Another ineligible candidate is a former
Right of Entry win with the Pilbara Ports Authority (PPA) manufacturing organiser who went to work for Mr Setka’s
The PPA was established in mid-2014 and provided new branch to poach Mr O’Connor’s members. Manufacturing
restricted procedures against union officials right of entry Lawyer Herman Borenstein said “she had breached the
(ROE) and freely within the port premises, despite a rules and engaged in a clear intrusion into the autonomy
formal ROE required notice, and a union official to always of the manufacturing division”.
be ‘escorted’. No other port in W.A. or the country
requires such a restriction. It is a win for Union officials The launch of those 11 candidates was reportedly hosted
and more importantly MUA members coming onto the by the ETU in its Victorian headquarters and attended by
MOF wharf, in Dampier or working across the various representatives from the Construction union, the
PPA sites. Communications Electrical and Plumbing union, along
with the United firefighters and health workers union.
W.A update… Among the crowd was a former ASU leader, who as an
Late news (june17) offshore company’s attack the equal ASU review found ‘engaged in gross misbehaviour’ by
time roster. Over the last 12 months, W. A. has reported paying members money to a company secretly controlled
this EBA is about locking in scope and coverage clauses by his wife. More interesting developments are sure to
that among other issues, secured the duty day onboard be coming soon!
and not defined as a ‘dead day’.
This newsletter is published by Mike Barber (6224) and Jeff Langdon
Companies are trying to bring in a ‘dead day’ when your (5266/1819) on behalf of the Queensland Branch R&F Collective.
Members wishing to receive Newsletter’s to their own email address,
vessel is either in transit to or from a job, not on send details to cman45au@live.com.au. We hope also, for contributions
hire/contract or any other circumstances that they can and feedback in response to editions we publish. Thanks Comrades
come up with. AOS, OSM, Swire and Solstad to name a
few, have already tried to apply dead days instead of duty Page.4