Published May 07, 2013
Dow Jones Newswires
The action includes a ban on overtime, signaling the escalation of a dispute over job security with Port Waratah Coal Services.
The port authority, which counts Rio Tinto PLC (RIO) and Glencore Xstrata PLC (GLEN.LN) as major users and shareholders, handles exports mostly to Japan and China. Its terminal handles more than 105 million metric tons of coal annually at its facilities in the city of Newcastle in Australia's New South Wales state.
Members of the Maritime Union of Australia "shall engage in an unlimited number of bans on the performance of overtime" starting from Sunday evening for an indefinite period, the union said in a statement.
The MUA's statement comes after it and three other unions, including the Transport Workers Union, Electrical Trade Union and Australian Manufacturers Workers Union, said Monday in a joint statement that talks with the authority had broken down.
A spokesman for PWCS wasn't immediately available for comment on Wednesday. The company has said union demands have to be weighed against the need to remain competitive amid continuing pressure on global coal prices.
Write to Ross Kelly at ross.kelly@wsj.com
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