The industrial action on the nation's wharves is heading to the Fair Work Commission.
There will be conciliation between Patrick Terminals and the Maritime Union of Australia at the FWC in Sydney on Wednesday, followed by a hearing on Thursday.
Patrick Terminals on Monday lodged an application seeking an urgent hearing to end industrial action which it says is affecting Australia's major container terminals.
The federal government is supporting the application for the MUA to immediately halt its action aimed at securing a six per cent wage increase over four years.
The dispute, focused on Sydney's Port Botany container terminal, escalated on Monday with the government accusing the union of holding the country to ransom, saying prescription medication was being held up on the wharves.
The National Farmers' Federation said the dispute was also threatening farmers' recovery from drought and COVID-19, with the capacity of the Patrick terminal cut by 40 per cent in the past week.
NFF CEO Tony Mahar said Port Botany was critical for getting products like red meat, pork, grain, wool and cotton to overseas markets. .
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Tuesday medical companies were concerned supplies were at risk.
"It's not an immediate risk, but if this goes on for any period of time, then we will see potential shortages and that's been provided to us by a range of different medical companies," he told Nine's Today show.
"I think that those that are doing the go-slow need to realise whether it is our farmers and the export of their extraordinarily valuable crops after drought, after difficult times, it's just so fundamental to the health of their communities.
"And then on the incoming side, medicines which are vital for the health of Australians are being delayed. There's no question about that. That's not at issue. And that could pose very shortly a real risk to Australians.
"So at the moment ...the new supplies that we need are sitting in ships offshore," he said.
The union denied claims that its limited action at Patrick's Port Botany container terminal was causing major delays, saying Patricks' was trying to "use community fear to force through attacks on workplace rights".
MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin accused Patrick management of deliberately escalating the dispute in an attempt to use political and public concerns to drive through cuts to workplace conditions.
"The company rejected the union's offer to roll over the existing workplace agreement, they rejected our offer to suspend all industrial action, and they rejected our attempts to put procedures in place that would ensure no impacts on vital goods like medical supplies," Mr Crumlin said on Monday.
