Greens MP and employment and workplace relations Minister Adam Bandt has called on Minister Bill Shorten to intervene in the escalating waterfront dispute.
Mr Bandt has also said he will push ahead with legislation to limit employers' capacity to use lock-outs as a legal tactic in industrial disputes.
"As soon as he has been sworn in, Minister Shorten needs to wade in and pull Chris Corrigan into line", Mr Bandt said.
"We all remember Chris Corrigan's balaclavas and dogs on the waterfront methods from last time around. Now he is back and doing a Qantas."
"Australians expect employers to bargain in good faith, not to strong arm workers to accept unsafe conditions."
"My bill, which will be debated in the first weeks of new year's Parliament, would limit employers like Chris Corrigan from using lockouts in this way."
The Greens Fair Work Amendment (Job Security and Fairer Bargaining) Bill 2012 includes provisions that will:
1. Require an employer to give three days notice of a lockout or any change in normal operation preparatory to a lockout;
2. Allow Fair Work Australia when deciding to terminate protected action to have regard to whether it considers that a purpose of the lockout was to make any application more likely to succeed;
3. Ensure that in any conciliation or mediation associated with an application to terminate protected action where it is claimed that significant damage to the economy or health or welfare of the population is threatened the Minister or their representative must participate.