Australia’s biggest container terminal operator has secured a wage deal with the Maritime Union of Australia that locks in a pay rise for wharfies until the end of 2028.
According to the union, that equates to around a 35 per cent increase over seven years.
The deal came came quicker than many industry insiders expected but now adds some much needed certainty to the sector as shippers grapple with the impacts of the new US tariff regime.
Patrick Terminals CEO, Michael Jovicic, said this “historic agreement” roll-over provides a strong foundation for the future, ensuring stability for employees and certainty for customers in an “increasingly dynamic global environment”.
“As a trusted Australian container terminal operator, we remain committed to delivering resilient and reliable services to our quayside and landside customers.”
“This agreement underscores Patrick Terminals’ ongoing commitment to productive workplace relations, supporting long-term value creation for all stakeholders. Patrick Terminals will continue to deliver world-class terminal operations that deliver superior supply chain efficiencies and unlock economic benefit for Australia.”
Brisbane, Fremantle, Sydney, and Melbourne ports have all agreed to the deal which will now be submitted to the Fair Work Commission for approval.
The union said the main features of the agreement are:
- $2000 sign on bonus delivered when agreement is registered at the Fair Work Commission
- Annual pay rises that are the higher of either an annual percentage increase or CPI:
- 1 Jan 2026: 3.25 per cent or CPI
- 1 Jan 2027: 3.25 per cent or CPI
- 1 Jan 2028: 3.5 per cent or CPI
- Superannuation increase of 0.5 per cent to 12.5 per cent from 1 July 2025 and will remain 0.5 per cent above the SGC.
- Protect Income Protection increase of 0.25 per cent to 2.25 per cent
- Expanded Personal Leave (Sick Leave) payout provisions to include termination
- No forced redundancy due to automation
- No outsourcing of work covered by members under the agreement
Australia’s peak sector body, Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA), welcomed the deal.
CTAA Director Neil Chambers said the pleasing announcement also coincides with statistics circulated by Patrick Terminals last week about its truck turnaround times at all of its Australian container terminals.
Chambers pointed out that landside performance has improved markedly since 2007, while volumes through the Patrick Terminals in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle have risen by more than 1 million TEUs over the same period.
He said the truck turnaround times in Australia at Patrick also compare favourably with some selected ports overseas, including the bigger ports of Los Angeles in the US and Felixstowe in the UK.
“CTAA has been working closely with Patrick Terminals for some years now to promote close dialogue between container transport operators and each Patrick Terminal through Landside Efficiency Group discussions,” Chambers said.
“These forums have helped tremendously with landside stakeholders’ understanding the impacts of terminal investments and initiatives to improve truck flows and has allowed for transport operators to raise issues for consideration and implementation with terminal management.
“Patrick Terminals has also been very open at a public level with sharing their performance metrics online – being the only Australian terminal operator who does this voluntarily on a regular basis and in a transparent way.”