The Guardian 15 November, 2006
Breakthrough for Alcoa workers
David Fox
A picket by residents and workers in the Peel community (75 km south of Perth) outside the refinery of mining multinational has paid off. Alcoa has agreed to re-employ on union rates the 30 contract workers who had been laid off — either directly or through contractor CECK.
The workers were contracted to Alcoa through the civil engineering firm JM and ED Moore, a Mandurah-based company which held the contract for 28 years. The company had been negotiating to renew its contract with Alcoa, but Alcoa would not approve the union wage rates being asked.
Instead Alcoa awarded the contract to a very anti-union firm called CECK, which offered its workers to Alcoa on a $15.60 per hour flat rate.
Alcoa’s drive to reduce wages and conditions in order to gain bigger profits showed no consideration for the social ramifications and flow-on effects to the community.
It was the first major action by the Peel Community Solidarity Group against a major multinational corporation. This has been a great success, not just for the Alcoa workers, but for all workers.