EMPLOYEES of Newcastle steelmaker Infrabuild say they will walk off the job for the first time in more than 30 years on Thursday after a breakdown in negotiations over new enterprise agreements.
And the Newcastle steel industry's combined unions - the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, the Electrical Trades Union and the Australian Workers' Union - have called on new InfraBuild CEO Francisco Irazusta to intervene and direct management to negotiate a fair deal for workers who cannot afford the rising cost of living.
Workers across all three InfraBuild businesses at Mayfield North will stop work at midday to protest what they say are "spiteful" negotiation tactics from the company.
"These workers haven't taken strike action for over thirty years," ETU Organiser Ash Bamford said. "The fact that workers across multiple parts of the business are now taking strike action demonstrates just how far wages and conditions have slipped. "These workers dug deep throughout the COVID pandemic to help deliver InfraBuild record breaking profits, all while taking some of the lowest wage increases seen in the industry. "The increases these workers are seeking will only maintain the existing wage disparity between them and their counterparts elsewhere in the local steel industry."
The unions say they are currently negotiating two InfraBuild enterprise agreements, Newcastle Steel and Austube Mills, which both expired in August.
And they say for the duration of negotiations with Austube Mills management, the company has acted "spitefully" since employees condemned the proposed agreement with a 91 per cent no vote in September.
And the unions say since the vote, management has moved employees from a 12-hour shift pattern to an eight hour shift, against employee wishes, and taken away paid shower time and break provisions.
"Management has continued to turn up to bargaining meetings asking what employees want, without a willingness to improve their rejected offer," the combined union said in a statement. "Union members are committed to continue further action until such time as InfraBuild recognises the value of their work."
AMWU Organiser Tim Ferguson said management were effectively asking employees to support an agreement where they would be financially worse off in the first year at a time when cost of living was soaring.
"We are calling on the company to improve their current offer and show some respect to the workers that got them through the COVID period with record profits," Mr Ferguson said.
An InfraBuild spokesperson said it would continue talks.
"InfraBuild has been negotiating in good faith with the unions and delegates and will continue to do so," the said.
"We have offered a substantial package with a 12 per cent increase to base pay over three years as well as increases to shift loadings, bonus payment systems and superannuation."
