Reports suggest that a 24 hour nation-wide strike will grind Australian ports to a halt this weekend, affecting 15 ships and stopping 17,797 containers from being unloaded. The MUA organised strike, in support of a $46,000 wage increase to workers already earning over $100,000 for 185 days work per year, has been given the green light by Labor's Fair Work laws.

"This action once again makes a mockery of the Fair Work laws introduced by Julia Gillard, who promised us that productivity would be a central feature" said Senator Abetz today.

"There's nothing in the MUA's demands which will increase productivity or efficiency - just a demand for more benefits." "This from a union that has proudly boasted in the past about gaining massive wage rises with 'no productivity trade-offs'." "Labor's laws not only encourage this type of demand, but reward it by giving 'two thumbs up' to strike action."

"Workplace productivity has never been a more crucial issue for our economy and to have a set of workplace laws that ignore it fails the common sense test."

"If you ask for a $46,000 pay increase, common sense suggests a workplace should be prepared to become more productive."

"To have a system that encourages strike action and discourages discussion about workplace productivity shows that common sense has been abandoned under the Fair Work laws."

"Under Labor, workplace productivity will never be a contender" Senator Abetz concluded.