Dave Andrews, Fremantle
Power maintenance workers based in Collie, near Bunbury in Western Australia's south-west, are continuing their strike for better working conditions. The strike by 110 workers, now entering its eighth week, has provoked a bitter response from their employer, United KG, and the chief of Western Power Tony Iannello.
United KG is a principal maintenance contractor for Western Power. The workers began their industrial action after negotiations for increased pay rates and reduced hours broke down. Talks in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) stalled. The striking workers have defied the commission's return-to-work ruling three times, and are demanding that their right to strike be agreed to before a resumption of work.
The strike is an embarrassment for the WA Labor government, with claims being made that unless there is an early end to the strike, power blackouts in summer are likely. Iannello lashed out at the AIRC's inability to enforce its rulings.
Ominously, Western Power has advertised for new maintenance workers for the Kwinana and Muja power plants, leading to fears that scabs will replace unionised workers. United KG boss John Birman has also aggravated the situation with threats to take the case to the Federal Court. He has demanded fines be imposed on the strikers and their unions, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union.
Fines for defying the AIRC's directives could be up to $10,000 for each of the three orders, while individual unionists could face $2000 fines on each count.
AMWU WA secretary Jock Ferguson accused United KG of intimidation. He explained that the unions had complied with the AIRC's orders by notifying its members in writing and at meetings of the return-to-work orders.
The Socialist Alliance's Senate candidate in WA, Ian Jamieson, has called on the labour movement to support the strikers. Speaking to 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, Jamieson said the maintenance workers are right to be enraged by the attacks made on them.
"These workers and their families are determined to see this dispute through and have every right to expect pay and conditions as good as their city counterparts. Their courage and solidarity is holding them together in the face bullying from their employers and inaction from the Labor Party government. They have every right to take collective action if they make a democratic decision to do so.
"Workers should take a very close interest in the result of the dispute. The power workers' demands are in our interests too. Should any decision be made to set up picket lines to prevent scabs entering the workplaces, then we have to do everything we can to support them."
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, September 1, 2004.
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