Ian Jamieson, Fremantle
After four weeks on strike, 430 workers involved in the expansion of the BHP-owned Worsley Alumina plant near Bunbury in south-west Western Australia appear close to victory in a dispute in which individual strikers were threatened with massive fines.
Two of the three major subcontractors have given in to demands for pay parity and the third, Collex, is expected to cave in this week. The three subcontractors engaged by BHP-Billiton to service the $265 million refinery expansion had been paying maintenance rates instead of construction rates.
The strike — which began on February 4 and involves members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, the Australian Workers Union, the construction and mining workers' union (CFMEU) and the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union — has had considerable support from local businesses. The strikers' picket line has attracted community support.
Although the strikers have lost thousands of dollars during the dispute, their families were supplied with food freely donated by businesses in the area.
The dispute rapidly escalated on February 17 when Worsley Alumina lawyers sought a Federal Court order imposing fines of $2000 or jail terms for 66 strikers who were employed by a subcontractor who was party to a federal award. The 66 strikers also faced the possibility of further fines of up to $22,000 each from legislation the Howard government plans to push through the federal parliament this year, anti-strike legislation that will be made retroactive.
Three weeks into the strike, workers employed by BHP-Billiton in the Pilbara struck for 24 hours in solidarity with the Worsley Alumina workers. But a big factor in drawing support for the beleaguered Bunbury strikers was a decision made by the Western Australian branch of the Maritime Union of Australia to mobilise its members to physically support the Worsley Alumina picket line. Some 200 MUA members from Bunbury and Fremantle marched en masse to the cheers of 200 picketers on March 4.
MUA state secretary Chris Cain and assistant secretary Ian Bray joined Worsley Alumina strike leader Tony Lovett and his committee in addressing the swollen picket.
Cain made it clear that the WA MUA branch leaders saw the Worsley dispute as the first round in a campaign to resist the attacks on the workers' rights planned by the bosses through the Howard government's next wave of anti-union legislation.
"We are not copping it and we are not going to wait for Howard to bring in his anti-working class laws", Cain told the picketers. "We are proud to show solidarity to our fellow workers whatever the cost." He was met with a roar of approval when he stated that "if Howard wants mass disruption around Australia then he can have that too".
The WA branch of the CFMEU is continuing to pressure Collex to sign on to the construction rates by banning Collex gear and equipment on all Perth construction sites.
From Green Left Weekly, March 9, 2005.
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