ESOs return to work with a 34% pay rise

Emergency services officers (ESOs) have returned to work at the Hazelwood power station with a clear win after an epic five months in dispute with their employer, contracting firm Diamond Protection.

Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) mining and energy division organiser Dave Kerin told Green Left Weekly: "The workers won an agreement for a pay rise of nearly 34% and other improvements in conditions to achieve parity with other ESOs in the Latrobe Valley power stations.

"The dispute deteriorated when Diamond Protection instigated a lockout of the ESOs, with scab labour being used to fill their positions."

The CFMEU's mining and energy division Victorian district secretary Greg Hardy told GLW the ESOs were outsourced during privatisation in the 1990s.

"ESOs in our industry seemed to suffer more than most. When they got outsourced they fell off a cliff in terms of pay and conditions. This is one more step back up that cliff", he said.

From GLW issue 809