Thousands of Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) members have rallied outside the offices of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) in a bid to urge the business community to drop its opposition to the National Stevedoring Code of Practice (NSCOP).

NSCOP seeks to establish a uniform national set of safety guidelines for stevedoring, and has been proposed following the spate of deaths on the nation’s waterfronts over the last decade.

“Wharfies are fourteen times more likely to die at work than the average Australian worker,” MUA Assistant National Secretary Warren Smith said.

“The development of the Code of Practice has been underway for several years through a collaborative effort between Safe Work Australia, the state regulators, the MUA and industry representatives."