Darwin Port wharfies are set to strike next week with workers having voted to take industrial action after they claimed management refused to negotiate a reasonable pay offer and participate in talks for a new enterprise agreement, the Maritime Union of Australia said.

The strike, which starts on August 19, involves staff from the operations, but also extends to security and administration departments, those represented by the MUA, the Australian Maritime Officers Union, and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union.

The work stoppages and bans in the notice of protected industrial action include indefinite bans on the use of workers’ dominant hand when using tools, including computers when safe to do so, making or receiving work-related phone calls outside of rostered hours, and limiting Pilot Vessel operations to 10kts where it is safe to do so, among other action.

“The ballot for protected industrial action came back with 99.9 per cent support for this course of action from the workforce and it is a clear demonstration of the unity and determination that exists at Darwin ports amongst the workers,” MUA deputy national secretary Warren Smith said.

Mr Smith said the company failed to honour earlier commitments it had promised to the workforce to negotiate a pay offer to form the basis of a new employment agreement.

“Refusal to table the improved wages offer amounts to a failure to meet good faith bargaining obligation to disclose relevant information promptly,” the Union said in a recent email to management, referring to the company’s responsibilities under the Fair Work Act.

“The company has developed a pattern of behaviour here in which delay, distraction and dishonesty have become the norm. The workforce is sick of this and they have resolved democratically to take Industrial Action in the face of it.

“We refuse to work harder, longer and for less in the face of skyrocketing cost of living increases. Management and the privateers, on huge wages, are having a privatisation party and expect their workers to pay for it – they will not”.

Darwin Port management rejected the MUA’s claims and said it remains committed to “the timely resolution of enterprise bargaining negotiations.”

Darwin Port acting chief executive officer Peter Dummett rebuffed the MUA’s allegations of refusing to participate in talks for a new enterprise agreement.

Mr Dummett urged MUA to make itself available to return to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) conciliation conferences as soon as possible. He said an initial conciliation conference was last held on July 26, but a second conference scheduled for August 5 was postponed until August 29 due to illness.

“Unions took the cynical opportunity to refuse to make themselves available to participate until Monday, August 29,” Mr Dummett said.

“In the interim the unions have issued demands and threatened legal action against Darwin Port and have organised for unnecessary protected industrial action.”

He added he believes that the assistance and oversight of the industrial umpire in the form of the FWC in the negotiations will give a timely and fair outcome for all parties involved.

Darwin Port has as directed by the FWC, developed an improved wage offer, including the consideration of CPI, and has communicated that it intends to negotiate that offer scheduled for the August 29 conciliation conference, Mr Dummett said.

He said management is committed to resolving outstanding issues and hopes that the talks scheduled on August 29 finally address the concerns of the union and that work begins towards finalising an agreement.

NOTE: This story was updated to reflect comments made by Darwin Port management.