The NSW Opposition has condemned the Minns Labor Government for sitting on its hands while vital import and export trade through Port Botany is at risk due to the ongoing industrial action by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA).
Acting Leader of the Opposition Natalie Ward called on Chris Minns to intervene to ensure the MUA action was stopped and Port Botany could operate effectively.
“Just a few months ago, Chris Minns said ‘You cannot have a situation where our ports are blocked for commerce. That would be hugely damaging to our economy’, and now he should match his words with actions by picking up the phone to Anthony Albanese to end the strike and force the parties to negotiate,” Ms Ward said.
Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations Damien Tudehope said the MUA industrial action is causing $25.1 million worth of damage each week and creating a serious threat to the viability of thousands of businesses across NSW.
“Chris Minns is all words no actions – he’s gone missing every time NSW needed him to stand up to the unions or the Albanese Labor Government,” Mr Tudehope said.
“Time and again Minns failed to pick up the phone and make the tough calls. When the Albanese Labor Government slashed billions in NSW infrastructure; as the NSW migration rate is imperilling our housing, and now with NSW businesses and manufacturers needing Minns to stand up for them, as the MUA is threatening to damage the NSW economy, he’s missing in action again.”
“The Minns Labor government has a Minister for Agriculture who is silent about the impact of the MUA actions on meat exports, a Domestic Manufacturing minister who has done nothing to protect our manufacturers from this strike, a Minister for Trade who is out of his depth, and an Industrial Relations Minister who crows about giving unions massive pay rises but stands by silently while unions are wrecking the NSW economy,” Mr Tudehope said.
MUA is a part of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union, which directly donated more than $2 million to the Labor party in the lead-up to the last federal and state election campaigns.
“Chris Minns isn’t standing up for the people of NSW – his Labor Government is under the thumb of union bosses because they control Labor’s finances.”
