Australian towage operators threatened by foreign competition were at standstill with the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) last Tuesday as a dispute over tug boat manning levels escalated. "Increasingly we are seeing overseas towage companies tendering for towage contracts in our ports," said Adsteam Marine Ltd. CEO Clay Frederick, noting that comparable offshore ports operated with mostly three man crews. "I don't think our customers are going to cop the fact that we are there with four men, when clearly it has been proven it can be done with three," he said. Adsteam plans to reduce manning levels in a bid to carve A$5 million annually out of its cost base.