Labour hire workers on strike

By Sue Bolton

MELBOURNE -- After three and a half weeks on strike, a September 24 mass meeting of Australian Manufacturing Workers Union members who work for labour hire companies voted to continue their strike indefinitely.

The strike was sparked by the expiry of the labour hire agreement at the end of May and the companies' refusal to negotiate. The union is demanding a 20% pay rise over two years, but the bosses are offering 5%.

Despite the casualised nature of the work in this industry, and constant phone calls from the bosses telling workers to return to work, the strike has been well supported by the vast majority of workers. About 45 companies are involved in the dispute, the biggest one being Skilled Engineering.

In a section of industry which is notoriously hard to organise, Victoria is the only state where workers for labour hire companies have had a collective industrial agreement.

One of the major companies in the group has indicated that it is prepared to settle with the union. Workers will meet again on October 1 to consider the next stage of the dispute.

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