Port Waratah Coal Services Workers Set For Two Days Of Work Stoppages

The action at the Rio Tinto subsidiary will commence both days at 8pm and stretch throughout the night shift until 4am.

“PWCS continues to pursue an anti union, anti worker approach to these negotiations in the face of a wall of unity and solidarity,” MUA Newcastle branch secretary Glen Williams said.

“Well over 95 per cent of the workforce voted in favour of industrial action to defend conditions of employment that have delivered a tripling in productivity and boundless flexibility in the business.

“The company needs to finally understand that these workers will not break. It’s time the company came back to the table and ceased its campaign to wind back the rights of its employees.”

Mr Williams added that the unions and workers, while ready to take protected industrial action, continue to seek a negotiated agreement.

“We seek a return to a cooperative and consultative approach to resolving disputes in the workplace,” he said.

“We will continue to exercise our rights to protected action in support of our claims and would urge the company to cease their attack and reach agreement on outstanding matters so that we can all get back to the job of loading ships and breaking records of productivity and efficiency.”

The single bargaining unit representing workers comprises the Maritime Union of Australia, the Transport Workers Union, the Electrical Trade Union, and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union.