First lockout under Workplace Relations Act

First lockout under Workplace Relations Act

By Rob Graham

ADELAIDE — All 20 workers, members of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, at Radco Crane Hire have been locked out and subsequently sacked after the collapse of enterprise bargaining negotiations. This is the first lockout since the introduction of the federal government's Workplace Relations Act.

Negotiations began in October. Management demanded that workers give up their rostered days off (RDOs) and early start penalty rates in exchange for a pay rise (6% over two years), six extra annual leave days (workers receive 13 RDOs under the award) and a seven hour, 36 minute working day. When workers rejected this and held a stop-work meeting, they were locked out.

A 24-hour camp was set up, and the CFMEU tried to have the lockout declared illegal in the Industrial Relations Commission. All workers were sacked on June 5, but the workers are also challenging this.

The CFMEU believes that Radco was never serious in pursuing an enterprise agreement, preferring informal agreements that gave it more "flexibility". The CFMEU points out that Radco manager Robert Brown is president of the Crane Hirers Association, so the pressure is coming from the whole industry.

Shop stewards Wally Buckzo and Ray Phillips told Green Left that the redundancy letters they received only mentioned ceasing operations at the Regency Park site. They suspect that the plan is to reopen at another site and take on a new work force under individual contracts.

Morale is high at the camp, with the workers prepared for a long fight. Solidarity has come from the United Trades and Labour Council and many individual unions, taxi drivers and some Radco customers — everyone who "has RDOs and penalty rates", said Buckzo.

Messages of solidarity or donations of money can be sent c/o Martin O'Malley, secretary of the Construction and General Division of the CFMEU, at Trades Hall.

From GLW issue 278