Six-day strike ends in victory

One hundred and thirty jubliant workers returned to work on August 18 
after six days on the picket line at Stegbar's plant on the Hume Highway at 
Lansvale, NSW. The 130 workers, members of the CFMEU Forestry Division and 
the Australian Workers' Union, make metal and wooden window frames.

"The workers are ecstatic", said CFMEU (Forestry Divison) organiser Phil 
Davies.

The dispute was over the retention of conditions being stripped from their 
award under the Workplace Relations Act.

The company had dug its heels in, refusing over six months of negotiations 
to accept the inclusion of these conditions in a new enterprise agreement.

It took a united and determined workforce and six days of strike action, 
for the company to back down.

The new agreement means a continuation of all of the conditions that 
applied on the site prior to the industrial action.

These include provisions regarding hours of work, casuals, payment of 
wages, part-time work, right of entry of trade union officials, trade union 
training, and much more.

The victory is important as other agreements are in the pipeline in the 
industry.

It was made even sweeter by the inclusion of a four percent wage rise back-
dated to June 1 this year and a further four percent to be paid on June 1, 
2000.