Maritime Union of Australia
MUA · Founded 1993 · Sydney, Australia · Australia
- Membership scope
- ~16,000 Australian dockworkers + waterside + seafarer members. Now a division of the CFMMEU (Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union) since 2018.
- Key CBA framework
- MUA-flag operators CBA (BHP shipping, ASP Ship Management Australia, others); MUA Offshore Alliance framework
- Website
- www.mua.org.au
What this union does
The Maritime Union of Australia was formed in 1993 from the merger of the Waterside Workers' Federation and the Seamen's Union of Australia — a consolidation reflecting the shrinking Australian-flag fleet + the shift of maritime industrial activity onto offshore-oil-and-gas contract work. Membership today (~16,000) is heavily weighted toward waterside workers + offshore-industry crews rather than the traditional deep-sea merchant marine. In 2018 the MUA formally amalgamated into the CFMMEU maritime division but retains distinct maritime-industry brand + advocacy. The 1998 Australian waterfront dispute — in which Patrick Corporation locked out ~2,000 MUA members and attempted to replace them with non-union labour — remains the defining modern Australian maritime industrial case. The MUA is a strong ITF affiliate and a consistent advocate for cabotage protection under the Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Act 2012.
Contact route
https://www.mua.org.au/contact — national office Sydney + state branches.