SA Boral workers fight on

by David Kirner

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) members at Boral 
Window Systems in Elizabeth, South Australia have taken industrial action 
to secure a better wages deal, prior to a vote on a new Enterprise 
Bargaining Agreement (EBA).

Since joining the CFMEU in 1997, after leaving the AWU/FIMEE, members have 
won an eight per cent increase in wages and long service entitlements 30 
per cent better than those in the federal Metal Trades Award.

Workers are now negotiating the next EBA and have been offered nine per 
cent over two years, with six per cent fixed and a further three per cent 
tied to inflation and productivity.

A two-and-a-half day picket line at both gates, a 24-hour walkout and three 
half-day walkouts have pushed the low TCR redundancy provisions up by 100 
per cent. Workers have now doubled the redundancy benefit payable to 25 
weeks for extended service.

In a solid gain, the new EBA proposal provides equal pay for labour hire 
workers who struck hard too.

CFMEU State Secretary Steve Rowe says "workers will now vote on the 
agreement, but there are more gains that need to be pursued".

The new EBA also provides for a classification and career path structure, 
journey accident insurance and continuity of service with Boral owned 
companies for the purposes of accumulating long service leave.

"The members at Boral have demonstrated that low wages and minimum 
conditions are not acceptable", said Steve Rowe. "The fight is on to stop 
SA's reputation as the second lowest wage cost State in the nation."