Hundreds of specialist tradespeople in Newcastle and Wollongong will take part in a series of work stoppages next week, potentially impacting major infrastructure projects, after their employer used the threat of redundancies in an attempt to force workers to accept a wage deal that would see them lose conditions.
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The Electrical Trades Union and Australian Manufacturing Workers Union have this week notified management at Downer Group’s Engineering, Construction and Maintenance division that union members had endorsed a series of four hour work stoppages on Monday (18 June), Wednesday (20 June), and Friday (22 June) next week.
The industrial action, involving approximately 430 tradespeople, comes less than a fortnight after Downer ECM workers took part in a three day stoppage and will potentially impact major projects, including: the Newcastle Light Rail construction, the Williamtown RAAF base extension, Eraring and Bayswater power stations, Mt Thorley and Mt Arthur mines, and Bluescope Steel at Port Kembla.
The unions said workers were angry because management had effectively walked away from negotiations, refused to take part in face-to-face discussions, and had made misleading public statements.
“When workers took industrial action, Downer management made false and misleading statements in the media, claiming they were offering workers a 2.25 per cent pay rise with no loss of conditions,” ETU NSW secretary Dave McKinley said.
“The truth is, management are attempting to remove weekend penalty rates by making Saturday and Sunday ordinary work hours through shift rostering, they want to reduce the casual loading for employees after four weeks, and they will only increase base pay rates, not allowances.
“Worst of all, Downer has now threatened employees that if they don’t agree to this substandard deal they will face redundancies, despite the company’s own financial statements revealing the division’s profits are surging and they currently have $1.5 billion worth of work in hand.”
AMWU assistant state secretary Cory Wright said Newcastle and Wollongong-based workers were holding firm to their demand that they receive the same pay increase the company provided to employees of the same division in Victoria and Queensland.
“It is absolutely outrageous that Downer is trying to pay our members less than their colleagues in Victoria and Queensland,” Mr Wright said.
“These are highly skilled workers who have been delivering huge profit growth to the company, but they’re being told they don’t deserve the same pay rise simply because they live in Newcastle and Wollongong, rather than Melbourne or Brisbane.
“Last year, the head of this division of Downer received a $495,000 bonus on top of his salary of $1.03 million, yet our members are being told they can only get a 2.25 per cent pay increase if they agree to sacrifice allowances and conditions.”
