Ruling bars Svitzer Australia from carrying out lockout threat for the next six months

Australia’s Fair Work Commission (FMC) ruled today that Svitzer’s cannot carry out its threat of an indefinite lockout of employees for a period of six months, putting to rest for the time being the severe threat of national supply chain chaos.

Svitzer, a unit of AP Moller-Maersk, is the dominant towage operator in Australia, with 100 vessels operating in 17 ports. On Monday it announced plans to lockout seagoing staff from today after a bitter three-year pay dispute with employees.

Yesterday, the FMC ruled that Svitzer could not carry out its lockout plans for today, with the FMC adding a six-month ban in further hearings this morning.

“The lockout will not proceed and customers can return to planned shipping movements and recommence port operations,” Svitzer told customers in an update today.

Workplace relations minister Tony Burke said Svitzer should be “ashamed of itself for its willingness to hold the economy to ransom”.

“Australians can now have certainty that the goods they rely on will be in stores and on shelves through Christmas and into next year,” he said.