BlueScope Members Show Their Steel
Members at BlueScope Westall
NUW members at BlueScope Steel Westall have voted to take industrial action. An overwhelming 97% of members voted Yes to an indefinite series of stoppages at the site in Melbournes outer eastern suburbs.
Members walked off the job on Thursday morning after EBA negotiations broke down. Many members said they also felt aggrieved by years of disrespectful treatment from management.
The strong picket line prescence of NUW members and officials has already enjoyed visits and messages of support from other unions and the surrounding community.
Site Organiser Justin Cartwright summed up the situation:
"The members here at BlueScope are the strongest and most united they have been and morale on the picket line is great.
As it stands, the wage increase on offer neither meets CPI nor is in the ballpark of wage increases being met by other companies in the sector."
The picket will be manned 24 hours a day, and the 80-plus BlueScope members have extended an invitation to all NUW members in the area to drop by for a friendly chat and a cuppa.
BlueScope members in other states also sent messages of support: "Don't give up, we're behind you all the way. Your actions will go a long way to help us all improve our conditions."
Click here to read coverage in the Australian Financial Review
