ACTU’s Secretary Sally McManus today meets with workers from two Alcoa bauxite mines and three refineries in WA who are on indefinite industrial action as the company threaten to terminate their Enterprise Bargaining Agreement, refusing to extend their existing conditions.

McManus will visit the largest strike action in the country happening across five picket lines – Kwinana, Myara, Del Park, Pinjarra, and Wagerup.

Alcoa’s refusal to provide secure work and tearing up of the EBA could result in some of the up to 1600 workers across Alcoa mines and refineries being put back on the legal minimum award wage, not having permanent jobs, and being forced onto short-term contracts that erode their job security.

 

Quotes attributable to AWU National Secretary Daniel Walton

“The dispute at Alcoa shows that employers feel emboldened to just tear up agreements when it suits them and intimidate workers into a take it or leave it deal.

“These workers have been negotiating in good faith for 20 months and now their employer has simply pulled stumps.

 “It’s no wonder wages are flatlining in this country.”

 

Quotes attributable to ACTU Secretary Sally McManus:

“This is about excessive corporate power and our broken work place laws – enough is enough, these 1600 workers deserve secure jobs.

“The company is using the threat of termination as a means to pressure these workers into accepting sub-par working conditions.

 These workers – some of whom have worked for this company for over 30 years – want what is fair and reasonable; they want secure jobs and fair conditions.

 “Enough is enough – these Alcoa workers have been bargaining in good faith, but now the company wants to rip up their agreement.”

 

Sally will visit the following sites at the following times:

Kwinana 9:00 – 9:30am

Myara – 10:45 – 11:15

Del Park – 12:00 – 12:30

Pinjarra – 13:00 – 13:30

Wagerup – 14:00 – 14:30