Mt Isa strike over union coverage

By Bill Mason

MIM Holdings, Queensland's biggest company, was plunged into a new crisis on September 21 when more than 800 workers at Mt Isa went on strike in the ongoing dispute over union coverage at the company's giant mine there. The 24-hour strike by members of three unions was in protest against an Industrial Relations Commission ruling that only the Australian Workers Union and the Manufacturing Workers Union had representation rights at the mine.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union Mt Isa president Chris Day said he was surprised at the strength of feeling among the members.

The meeting of CFMEU, Clerks Union and Electrical Trades Union members voted to send representatives to the ACTU congress in Melbourne to petition ACTU leaders to take notice of a secret ballot conducted at Mt Isa last year, in which a majority voted to stay in the unions of their choice.

From GLW issue 204