Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) that the government will step in to intervene in the port strikes at Patrick Terminals if necessary. “Our government is also keeping a close watch on the potential for industrial action to disrupt economic activity, noting that industrial action at Patrick Terminals is on hold until at least the 10th of December,” Morrison said in a speech to the Australian Industry Group. MUA has been trying to strike a deal with Patrick where up to 70 percent of new hires will come from existing employees’ families and friends or people chosen by the union, similar to its agreement with another port. The union launched over 220 industrial actions across four Patrick ports in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Fremantle since negotiations began in February 2020. These ports handle nearly 40 percent of Australia’s shipping container volume. On Nov. …