Qube Ports is set to lay-off staff around the country following the breakdown of enterprise agreement negotiations in the Port of Fremantle.
The Maritime Union of Australia says its has been notified by QUBE about the redundancies.
Qube ports director Michael Sousa informed the MUA that large global shipping line Wallenius Wilhelmsen had indicated over the weekend it would cancel its contract with Qube and shift its business to Linx.
MUA WA branch secretary Will Tracey said Wallenius Wilhelmsen was Qube's largest customer and the loss of this business would have a detrimental effect on Qube's profits and share price.
“This will be a devastating blow to Qube Ports which is one of Australia’s largest import/export logistics firms,” Mr Tracey says in statement.
“Rather than negotiating a fair outcome to the dispute at Fremantle, which is now in its seventh week, Qube Ports appears to have decided that winning an industrial dispute and losing its major client is a good outcome for the company, its workers and its shareholders.”
“As the loss of the Wallenius Wilhelmsen contract will have a major impact on Qube Ports, we look forward to Mr Sousa’s explanation to the markets when he reports this price-sensitive news to the ASX.”
Qube had outlined to the MUA the numbers of jobs to be made redundant across the Brisbane, Melbourne and Port Kembla Terminals, according to Mr Tracey.
