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End strike action or face consequences: Mines AssociationThe Australian Mines and Metals Association is calling on the Federal Government to step in and prevent strikes on the North West Shelf and in the Bass Strait.

Members of the Maritime Union plan to walk off the job for 48 hours this weekend following a long running industrial campaign in support of increased pay.

The Association’s CEO Steve Knott says the case proves the new Fair Work industrial laws are failing.

He wants the Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard to intervene.

“The Deputy Prime Minister can sit on her hands and watch this recklessness occur and carry the lost job opportunities and the damage to the international investment climate for our sector around her neck or she can step up to the plate and say we’re not going to allow this,” he said.

“They’ve got the opportunity under the legislation and they’ve put a provision in the new fair work laws that allow the government to directly intervene when something has this type of implication on their national economy, and this does.”

A spokeswoman for the Minister says Ms Gillard doesn’t have the power to halt the strikes but, like the company, she can request Fair Work to suspend or terminate the action.

Last month, the maritime workers went on strike for 48 hours after the union’s request for a 30 per cent pay increase over three years was rejected by Farstad.

At the time, Farstad’s Managing Director Joseph Homsey said the demand untenable and the company has instead offered a 25 per cent pay increase over three years.

The renewed strike action is expected to affect companies like Woodside, Shell, Chevron and ExxonMobil.