September 2013

Rally against economic vandalism committed by FLN G PLATFO RM S

Union members blockaded Parliament house to highlight the economic vandalism of floating LNG platforms (FLNG).
More than 350 community and Blue Collar Alliance members blocked the entrances to parliament to alert the politicians to the affects of FLNG platforms on Australian manufacturing jobs. Floating LNG is flat-out economic vandalism. It cuts out any opportunity for West Australian workers and business to benefit from the natural resources we all own, said AMWU State Secretary Steve McCartney. Attending the protests in support of the AMWU were the CFMEU, MUA and the ETU. The blockade successfully turned away MPs and Ministers in their chauffer driven cars. This was to show them what it feels like for our members when they turn up for work only to be told sorry, your workplace has been shut down. Multinational companies have been planning to take processing plants offshore, to make it easier to employ overseas workers, costing Australian jobs and skills, according to Mr McCartney. Woodside and Shells decision to abandon onshore processing will cost thousands of Australian jobs, the opportunity to develop skills and most importantly the opportunity for Western Australia to break into the global LNG supply chain. Employing cheap overseas workers will save these companies millions of dollars in wages. But the short-term goals of these companies are going to leave long-term consequences for WA jobs. Our natural gas resources should be developed in line with Western Australias long-term interests, not at the convenience of foreign companies. Chevron and Shell just dont care as long as they appease their shareholders, said Mr McCartney. Unions are the only people thinking of Western Australias long-term future we should be putting WA on a long-term sustainable footing, starting with banning FLNGs when the gas could and should be brought onshore.

FLNG Update
Since the rally, Woodside has officially announced that it will proceed with plans to use FLNG technology to process gas offshore from the Browse Basin. The gas giant has also officially shelved its plans to build a multi-user gas-processing hub at James Price Point. Colin Barnett has admitted that he had failed to create thousands of jobs for West Australians and failed to create opportunities for WA industry.

Shipbuilding campaign off to a great start

A group of twelve delegates have gone to Canberra to discuss Australian shipbuilding jobs and keep Australian ships designed, built and maintained in Australian shipyards.
The visit was part of an official campaign for an Australian made navy. The campaign was launched on the 29th of May 2013 and shipbuilders around the country stopped work in a bid to convince politicians to keep jobs in Australia and guarantee the future of our shipbuilding industry. There are currently major projects happening across three Australian shipyards, which are expected to wind down between 2015 and 2016, leaving thousands of workers out of a job. The previous Australian Minister of Defence, Mike Kelly was a guest speaker at a national shipbuilders meeting and he confirmed the Australian Government wished to build 48 new ships, including 8 new submarines at a cost of $250 billion dollars. However, there is no guarantee that this work will be done in Australia. The onus is now on the new Liberal government and likely new Defence Minister David Johnston to get behind the shipbuilding industry and show they are committed to local industry and local jobs. If we dont get commitment to build the 48 vessels stated in the 2013 defence white paper, our shipyards will be forced to sack workers and possibly close their gates, said AMWU delegate Jon Primrose. More than 6,000 workers around the country could lose their jobs. Recently in Canberra, Mr Primrose met with federal politicians about what can be done for the future of ship manufacturing in Australia. I went to Canberra on the 18th of June for two full days of meetings with ministers and senators from all political parties, he said. We had 12 delegates in total from all the major shipyards in Australia seeking bipartisan support for our industry, said Mr Primrose. We were seeking to get the politicians to sign a pledge to show their commitment for the shipbuilding industry here in Australia, he said. Currently more than 50 MPs have signed the pledge to support an Australian made navy. Not one of them is from the Liberal party. Every federal MP in the area around Australian shipyards received a letter from AMWU National Secretary Paul Bastian seeking their support and for them to sign the pledge. If you want to help the campaign, go to the AMWU website and sign the online letter to your local MP. You can also check out an online video with more information at makingourfuture.com.au

AMWU Perth office: 121 Royal St, East Perth Telephone: (08) 9223 0800 Fax:(08) 9225 4744 www.amwu.org.au

STATE SECRETARYS REPORT, WITH STEVE MCCARTNEY

The fight goes on

There is no doubt the election of Tony Abbott and the Liberals will make life harder for workers to organise to defend their rights at work. But we have been here before and we wont be taking a backward step. Our priorities for our members remain the same.
The result wont change our unions priorities on local jobs, skills development and decent wages and conditions. The game might have changed but our fight goes on: the workers united will never be defeated. We are a campaigning union and will fight for the needs of members regardless of who is in government. We have been here for 160 years and have fought and won against tougher opponents than Tony Abbott. We will campaign hard and stand up for workers rights just as we always have. We will continue to fight for the democratic rights of workers to join a union and bargain collectively. We will defend our right to strike and we will do all we can to stop the return of the draconian and discriminatory Australian Building and Construction Commission. We will fight Liberal plans to make it harder for union organisers to get into workplaces to talk to workers. Importantly we will continue our shipbuilding campaign to ensure continuity of work for our local industry. You can read more about the shipping campaign in this edition of Manufacturing Matters but now the focus will shift to making sure the new government honours the promises our delegates secured from the previous government. It is a national priority that we bring forward the build of Defence vessels to avoid the Valley of Death that could result in permanent loss of capacity for our local industry. The issue is just too important to play politics on. We will also continue to fight for local skills development and the rights of our apprentices. The AMWU won a big pay increase for all first and second year apprentices nationwide just last month. Despite a 48% apprentice dropout rate, the Liberals teamed up with big business to oppose the pay rises to keep more of our kids in training. We will build on this great result to ensure our kids are given a chance to learn a trade before overseas labour is brought in. Well also fight Tony Abbotts plans to roll back proper market testing before 457 visas are brought in. On the FLNG front, well hold Colin Barnett to his word now that a Federal Liberal government is in power. We know Gary Gray didnt listen to the Premier, so it will be interesting to see if Barnett gets any respect from his own side. We call on our members to support each other across industries, and stand together to build density in our workplaces. And buy some comfortable shoes because sooner or later well be marching up the street to KEEP THE BASTARDS HONEST.

While we respect the election result, it wont change our unions priorities on local jobs, skills development and decent wages and conditions

Our campaigns will continue regardless of the government

GORGON WORKERS REVOLT AGAINST DOUBLE BUNKING

Workers on the Gorgon site have held a series of meetings protesting over Chevrons attempts to get workers to share smaller and smaller accommodation.
Chevron has introduced double bunking on Barrow Island, where workers on opposite shifts share a bunk bed. Chevron is treating workers like sardines by cramming two people into a room designed for one. There is a reason our workers call the project Gorgotraz, said AMWU State Secretary Steve McCartney. Chevron knew the workforce numbers well in advance. The Barrow Island accommodation crisis was completely predictable and avoidable. Its obvious double bunking was their plan all along. Workers were currently being offered $125 a night to agree to double bunking, but Mr The shortage was of workers, our eye was off the ball, They sneaked under the radar, painters one and all. Three dollars paid for every hour, a scandal in anybodys eyes The profits for the bosses were astronomically high. Cheap labour was the road to go and Howard was the way, Recruit from distant lands with a pittance for a pay. The land of milk and honey has a never-ending tap The minerals found underground was the X on the treasure map McCartney said this issue was not about money. Forcing two workers into a room designed for one is bad for morale, fatigue and productivity and will affect mental as well as physical health. The decision is based on a completely false economy that will only cost the project in the long run by throwing up more problems than it solves. Mr McCartney has called on Chevron to meet with the AMWU and other unions to discuss the situation on Barrow Island. He has also written to Chevron, seeking answers to a list of questions on behalf of workers. The pittance of an hourly rate was here and had to stayMotelling was the next in line and the guys they had no say. Well bribe you with an iPod and riches still to follow Only for this contract, the promises rang hollow Next in line came double bunks, but only if you want, Again, its broken promises, these will come back to haunt. Safety aint an issue, for the companies with greed as a goal If you want to raise your head and fight, well threaten you with dole. True men kept their hands down, firmly by their side Chevron has not properly consulted with workers or their unions and until they do we will continue to see these clumsy decisions resulting in counterproductive and avoidable disputes, said Mr McCartney.

AM
D BUNK BE

WU
W OR KERS

S: T FO R KIDS NO

You can ram your double bunking, turncoats we cant abide Stick your poxy dollars, right where the sun dont shine You cannot bribe this union man, with the rest we fall in line. They had a bash at Wheatstone; the men stood firm and true, Well take the fight up to the top; were ready for a blue. Restricting peoples freedoms, is out with our constitution If the bosses keep on pushing, well have our revolution. The Pilbara poet2013

A CAM PAIG N IN G U N IO N
Bechtel restricts site leave for Wheatstone workers
The AMWU is outraged at Bechtels decision to restrict site leave to Onslow to just 50 Wheatstone employees on rostered rest days.
This is a poorly thought out idea that effectively amounts to worker incarceration, said AMWU State Secretary Steve McCartney. This disgraceful decision means many workers will spend their entire swing behind a wire mesh fence. Its an absolute joke. Mr McCartney said the decision was made with absolutely no consultation with workers or the union. He said Bechtel was asking for trouble by keeping workers all cooped up together on their rest day. Mr McCartney was also concerned about the impact on individual workers and their mental health.

AM
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WU

PS

NOT P RI

We have serious concerns that unnecessarily restricting site leave will adversely affect mental health in an industry which already has a poor reputation for looking after workers, he said. The union is undertaking discussions with Bechtel to make sure our members can have decent rest and recuperation while working a long way from their homes and families.

Union members take on Bradken and win

After a hard-fought and drawn out campaign, AMWU members have secured a pay rise for themselves at the Bradken Bassendean plant.
Pay negotiations started in October last year, with workers EBA set to run out at the end of December. The two parties were poles apart, with workers wanting a 5% pay rise and the company offering 2% and the ability to move workers to any Bradken site in the metro area. After many meetings and the company refusing to budge, the AMWU at the behest of our members, lodged paperwork with Fair Work Australia on the 9th of May for protected industrial action. The action commenced on the 12th of June with a ban on overtime and the performance of administration work and record keeping. Given this was in the lead up to the end of the financial year, it caused a great deal of inconvenience for the company. The company retaliated by locking out 8 admin workers for two days. But AMWU members at Bradken banded together, did a whip around and raised enough money to cover the lost wages of their fellow union members. Still unable to reach agreement, the AMWU again launched protected industrial action on the 20th of June, and workers stopped work for 24 hours. National Secretary Paul Bastian addressed striking workers, letting them know the national union backed their cause and would support them all the way. AMWU members again held another protected four-hour stoppage on the 4th of July, the company finally started to bargain in good faith. By sticking to their guns, refusing to give in and supporting each other, our Bradken members dragged the company up to nearly double their original offer. Well done to all our staunch Bradken members on a well deserved win.

(AMC) Facilities

ON S

A CAM PAIG N IN G U N IO N

More bucks in apprentice pockets thanks to AMWU

The AMWU has welcomed the decision by the Fair Work Commission to substantially raise apprentice wages, however the union believes it doesnt go far enough.
On the 22nd of August, the Commission handed down a decision to increase some apprentice wages by up to 50%. However, the union was extremely disappointed the decision did not apply to current apprentices, and the higher wages would only be paid to those who started their apprenticeships from January 2014. The AMWU orchestrated the claim for an increase in apprentice wages, a lowering of adult age for apprentices from 21 to 20 and for employers to meet travel and study costs associated with completing an apprenticeship. The AMWU national president, Andrew Dettmer said the decision would encourage more people to take up apprenticeships. It is vital that as a country we are investing in training our people, not relying on 457 visa programs to temporarily fill skill shortages. Attracting people into apprenticeships and having governments prepared to support trade-training opportunities are crucial, he said. Under the decision, there would be a rise in first year apprentice wages to 50% of the trade base wage, while second year apprentice wages would be adjusted accordingly to 60% or 65%, depending on the level of education. This new wage win was the first change in relativities for apprentices with year 10 education levels for over 30 years. The AMWU argued that granting wage increases for apprentices was an essential step in attracting and retaining trade apprentices and would assist in stemming the drop out rate that had climbed to 48%. The Full Bench has accepted the logic that this is about building Australian industrys competitiveness by developing the critical trade skills needed to lift productivity. This is particularly relevant to our manufacturing sector, said Mr Dettmer. The Full Bench has drawn on many of the experiences of our apprentice members in reaching a conclusion in this matter. Unfortunately, they havent included those apprentices in the wage adjustment. Mr Dettmer said the union would continue to fight to have current apprentices included in the wage rise.

Portable long service leave entitlements

The AMWU has intervened at the Australian Marine Complex (AMC) to fight for portable long service leave entitlements for construction workers.
With the transient nature of the Australian manufacturing industry, increasingly moving workers nationally and internationally, it is important for workers to have flexible leave options. Because the manufacturing and construction industry is very project driven, it would be nearly impossible for most workers to accumulate enough service with one employer to be eligible for long service leave. Thanks to the AMWU, workers at the AMC are now able to work for many employers at once and gain their long service leave benefit. It is also important to have long service leave entitlements in the right classification of the area of work, otherwise workers will not receive the benefits they earn. After scaffolders at the AMC were classed as fabrication workers when they were working in construction, AMWU Organiser David Fox intervened to get the workers re-classified so they could obtain benefits they deserved. Mr Fox knew that being put into the wrong classification for these workers meant they would be entitled to less. This is a great result for the workers at the AMC and the union will continue to fight for other workers.

It is important to have long service leave entitlements in the right classification, otherwise workers will not receive the benefits they earn.

A CAM PAIG N IN G U N IO N

Fight for dedicated ERT at AMC

The AMWU has launched a petition calling for the establishment of a dedicated Emergency Response Team at the Australian Marine Complex in Henderson.
Currently, some of the larger companies have ERTs, while others do not. This means that response times can be slow, because workers in an ERT have to be pulled off their jobs, assemble their equipment and then respond to an emergency, said organiser Scott Williams. There have been several serious incidents at the site over the last few years, which required ERTs to deal with individual and mass evacuations. The union has some serious concerns about the way they were handled. Some of the response times have been abysmal, said Mr Williams. The most serious incident involved eight people being taken to hospital because of a hydrogen sulfide leak. With Rockingham and Fremantle hospitals both at least 25 minutes away, it is imperative that fast, good quality care is available for workers until paramedics arrive, said Mr Williams. Mr Williams said with workers working in confined spaces and at height, there was a big potential for accidents to occur. He said some of the accidents were time-critical, and waiting for an ERT to be assembled was putting workers safety at risk. The union believed the best way to address the safety concerns was to establish a full time, dedicated ERT. We need a team on site that know the facility and understand the types of dangers faced by workers, said Mr Williams. A permanent ERT could also be notified ahead of time when workers were planning to undertake dangerous jobs and be on hand with the required equipment in case of any accidents. Mr Williams said the team could be funded by government, or through a levy on the companies at the AMC. The AMWU has started a petition, which it will take to the State Government. You can access the petition at workplaces around the AMC, or at the Union office.

AMC Emergency Response Petition

To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia in Parliament assembled. We the undersigned are employed on the Australian Marine Complex in Henderson in WA and would like to bring to your attention our serious concerns regarding response times and actions of the Emergency Response Teams (ERTs). There have been several serious incidents requiring ERTs to deal with individual and mass evacuations, the handling of which causes us serious concern for our health and wellbeing. As a result of our lack of confidence in the response times and ability of the ERTs we request the Premier or responsible Minister meet with AMC Management, contractors and union representatives on site to take steps to facilitate a dedicated Emergency Response Team, access to a dedicated Emergency Response facility and resources required to deal with future incidents. Name (please print) Mobile Number Email Address Signature

Please send copies of this Petition to judith.avent@amwu.asn.au or fax to (08) 6498 9386

WD Moore windmill workshop shut down

After 150 years in business, WD Moore has been forced to close the doors of its workshop, forcing several employees out of a job.
WD Moores windmill workshop in OConnor has been dismantled, split up and auctioned off over two days following a bad takeover deal with Pan Asia, a Singaporean multinational company. Since its establishment in 1862, WD Moore & Co has been manufacturing windmills and solar systems to supply customers in rural and remote areas Australia wide. It is a travesty that a West Australian institution can be cannibalised by an overseas multinational planning to trade off the goodwill and reputation of a local company while shipping production off to China, said AMWU State Secretary Steve McCartney. Mr McCartney said Pan Asia had picked the eyes out of WD Moore and forced one of the workshops to send its patents and casting moulds for the latest Yellowtail model to a factory in China. This was a profitable and competitive company with a loyal customer base, full order books and a rock-solid reputation for building the best windmills in the world, he said. Mr McCartney said WD Moore had fallen victim to expanding overseas companies because it was a profitable company making quality products, not because they could not compete in an ever-expanding industry. Now we are seeing staff sacked, some who have worked there for nearly five decades while others are losing their homes. We are seeing the workshop split up and dismembered. We are seeing WA-developed technology shipped off to a foreign country, said Mr McCartney. WD Moore is the second oldest company in Western Australia. Now it will be reduced to a shop front, while we further outsource our skills, intellectual property and local manufacturing capacity.

Union welcomes new Kimberley organiser Russell Davey

The AMWU is set to take a long and hopefully fruitful journey across the Kimberley with the local knowledge of our unions new organiser Russell Davey.
The unions WA branch is working closely with the Kimberley Land Council to bring the concept of workers rights to Aboriginal communities across the vast area of mineral wealth and Russell Wossy Davey is the right person for the job. A man of the world and a Bardi Jawi man from One Arm Point, 220km north of Broome, he will be the unions first indigenous organiser in WA. Mr Davey has deep community, cultural and family contacts across the Kimberley and has worked in the mining industry, driving trucks at Rio Tinto iron ore mines in the Pilbara. A lot of (Kimberley) people dont know what the union is about, they have to be given the information that our union is here to help them and not to make any trouble, he said. Its particularly needed with the resources and mining, where there will be big changes for communities and the chances of jobs coming with the gas and other projects. His appointment comes as the opportunities for improving the living standards of indigenous communities through mining in their traditional lands is a focus of national debate, particularly over the future of gas development in the Kimberley. If I can tell my people about their rights, about the need to ensure they have the right hours, pay, safety, then that has to help everyone. Mr Davey has deep cultural links in the region, as an artist and as a dancer with the Bardi Dance group, telling their traditional stories. The group has performed across the nation and overseas, in 2007 in New York and Los Angeles as part of the highprofile GDay USA promotion of Australia. It also performs with other local groups when the West Kimberley people have regional meetings. If youre involved with the customs and culture, if you have that strength behind you, people will listen when youre getting other messages out, like talking about the union, he said. He represents the Ardyaloon clan on the local Bardi Jawi Prescribed Body Corporate BC and has worked over the past few years as a mentor in One Arm Points Capital Development Program. I was helping people in my community with the work for the dole program, a lot of people are nervous to even go and try for a regular job so we have to give them some sort of hope, he said. Mr Davey hopes to draw on his knowledge of towns and communities stretching between Broome to Kununurra, possibly using some of his artwork to explain what unionism is about. Its a long stretch of road, but its a small place when youve been involved with the Kimberley Land Council, going out bush. You have to be able to speak directly with people, appreciate and respect their culture, their customs, he said. Its knowing how to talk to them, how to approach them, even the signals you send with your body language. WA State Secretary Steve McCartney stressed that while Mr Davey was familiarising himself with the AMWU, our union had more to learn from him. We can teach him a lot but well be sending an AMWU organiser up there on a voluntary basis to learn about indigenous culture, something weve already done in other parts of the state, he said. Mr McCartney said Mr Daveys new role involved educating local communities on the value of schooling, work and unionism, while trying to steer people away from destructive behaviour. Hes a guy who has worked in mining, who is part of indigenous culture, who is a mentor, Mr McCartney said. I asked him can you do this job and he said bloody oath, its a great opportunity. All the new AMWU man needs now is a car, a phone and a laptop and hell be set to go. Im challenging myself to take this job on, Ill have all the training and all the support to do my best for the union and my people, Mr Davey said.

Book

now on U W M A e h t f o y r o t about the his

sale

AMWU members might be interested in reading a new book, which details the history of our union.
As a large and complex organisation, the AMWU can trace its origins to the earliest years of Australian trade unionism. This book presents the achievements of the union since the 1850s, yet does not shy away from challenges to that history or from controversies past and present. The book details the industrial influence of the AMWU since the middle of the 19th century, discussing the importance of union banners and their place in industrial and political campaigning, and relating stories of memorable people, movements, and campaigns. It also stresses the significance of the shorter hours movement of the 1970s and 80s. Australia Reconstructed, one of the most important - and neglected - union documents of the late 20th century, is revisited. Additionally, the politics of union amalgamation are analysed, and the continuing pressures on women as union delegates and leaders are revealed. The book draws out the rich human flavor of the AMWU and suggests its deep and complex connections with the Australian society of which it is part. The book is edited by our National President Andrew Dettmer and is available on amazon.com
We have ten copies of the book, the first ten people to email tom.palmer@amwu.asn.au will get a free copy.

Banking just got easier for Komatsu workers

ME Bank (formerly Members Equity) is now offering weekly banking services at the Komatsu site in Welshpool.
ME Bank held a launch at the earthmoving company recently, where Business Development Manager Michael Hall spoke to up to 200 workers about the benefits of banking with ME Bank. Organiser Gary Carozzi and delegates Lindsay Morton and Rocky Versace were also on hand to help out. ME Bank was set up around 20 years ago by the union movement to provide its members with an alternative to the big 4 banks. The profits from ME Bank go back to members through their industry super funds. Mr Hall said ME Bank offered union members a competitive and transparent alternative. We offer consistently lower interest rates which could save members up to $20,000 on an average mortgage, he said. Mr Hall said the main advantage of banking with ME Bank was that reps actually go out to sites around Perth to help workers with their banking. This means that people have access to their banking at work, which saves them time and money, he said. Members who sign up with ME bank have access to all the normal bank services like opening accounts, checking balances, or transferring money. They can also enquire about mortgage rates and ME Bank can then send a rep to their home to answer questions. ME Bank will also install ATMs in some of the bigger work sites around the country. Mr Hall said ME Bank genuinely had the interests of union members in mind. For instance, if a member was to lose their job and had a mortgage with us, we have a hardship policy to help defer mortgage payments while they look for a new job, he said. ME reps currently visit around seven bigger sites in WA weekly as well as smaller sites on a regular basis.

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