Roxby to test law on union access

By Philippa Stanford

ADELAIDE -- The Roxby Downs uranium mine in South Australia is shaping up as a major test site of the Howard government's new industrial relations laws.

Western Mining Corporation plans to restrict union access to the $1.25 billion Olympic Dam expansion project at Roxby.

The project's main contractor, Bechtel, has worked out a deal with the Australian Workers Union to allow the metal and electrical unions on site, but to exclude the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union. This actually contravenes new laws which make it illegal to discriminate against workers based on their union membership.

ACTU assistant secretary Greg Coombe supported all unions being on site when the project started. The AWU broke ranks just after Christmas.

Bechtel tried to make similar agreements with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and the Communications, Electrical, Electronics, Plumbing and Allied Services Union, but both refused to sign unless the CFMEU was included.

CFMEU state secretary Ben Carslake said the union would be testing the new laws by serving right of entry notification on Bechtel. The CFMEU has been excluded from the Roxby Downs uranium mine for almost four years after WMC successfully argued to have sole coverage rights given to the AWU.

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