BHP prolongs needless costly dispute

by Bob Briton

Last Friday striking workers at BHP's sheet steel cutting centre in 
Wingfield, Adelaide, ended the second week of a peaceful vigil. At issue is 
transnational steel supplier BHP-Billiton's protracted refusal to enter 
into discussions over a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA). The 
strike action has now become the focus of a national dispute.

Although the Australian Workers Union (AWU) had called for discussions on a 
new agreement since June last year, the company refused to meet union 
representatives until after the expiry of the last EBA on September 1 last 
year.

When they finally did so, they refused to consider the union's demand for a 
four percent increase in the first year and another four in the second year 
of the EBA. Instead, they insisted on an undertaking of continuity of 
supply and a "no strike" clause, a clear warning that they were going to be 
as awkward as possible during negotiations and that they had another 
agenda.

The last stoppage at the Wingfield Service Centre was in 1981. One striking 
worker "interviewed by the Guardian" had eight years of employment, 
another 14, yet another 15, and two workers had been employed for 25 years. 
None of them had ever been on strike, despite the company's refusal to pay 
its workers at the new rates until three months after the last two EBAs had 
come into force.

BHP still owes for those six months' of increases, and a further six months 
of inflation has now eroded the Wingfield workers' pay packets. The latest 
EBA will only come into force when registered, which, given BHP's recent 
behaviour, could be a long time away.

The company is also demanding the right to "change of management", i.e. to 
replace line workers with contract workers at any time.

BHP has made no commitment to retaining the service centres, which could be 
sold. The company refuses to offer workers security of employment, and 
there is no redundancy package in their draft EBA.

When BHP and Billiton merged, they decided to operate the steel division as 
a "stand-alone" company. In June this year the Winfield steel centres, and 
those in Victoria, NSW and Queensland, will be "spun off".

Understandably, BHP workers want to clarify issues and finalise a new EBA 
as quickly as possible. However, the company has cancelled a string of 
meetings with union representatives, and even angered the Industrial 
Relations Commission (IRC) last Monday when it sent a delegation with no 
authority to enter into agreements. The AWU continues to call for a 
compulsory conference of responsible parties before the IRC.

At the time of writing, BHP-Billiton agreed to a weekend meeting with 
workers' representatives in Adelaide. In return, the workers have agreed to 
return to work at midnight on Sunday March 4, providing the outcome is 
acceptable.

This is a dramatic change of tactics for BHP-Billiton, which prior to the 
strike, provided customers with additional supplies of steel, and 
afterwards wrote to the partners of striking workers warning about their 
job security.

One large SA-based manufacturer was reportedly allowed to place bogus 
orders with a non-BHP centre in Victoria to cut its steel, which was then 
trucked to SA. (minus the usual labels on the rolls); the trucks then 
returned empty for further consignments. This practice was apparently 
nipped in the bud during the dispute.

Local truck drivers — all contract workers with no direct stake in the 
dispute — have refused to enter the Wingfield site. BHP service centres 
joined in a national strike in support on February 21 and 22. Sydney's 
Chullora centre is still in dispute over a safety issue.

In contrast, right-wing talk-back radio host Bob Francis called the 75 
striking workers "a bunch of lazy wankers" on his 5AA program and advised 
them to "get off your arses and get back to work".

No doubt his outburst was "informed" by media reports of imminent layoffs 
at GMH, Mitsubishi and the city's various whitegoods manufacturers.

The Advertiser reported that the AWU's insistence on pay increases 
being back-dated to the expiry of the previous EBA last September would put 
$1800 into the pockets of the centre's workers. (BHP wants any increase to 
be paid from June this year.)

According to the striking workers, however, the four percent increase 
backdated to September would give them an average back pay of only $824. It 
is to be hoped that their experience and judgement carries the day during 
the weekend's negotiations.

They have struggled hard for what is clearly theirs. As Steve pointed out 
to his mates at the gates of the Winfield Centre: "These are our 
entitlements, we have a duty to stand up for our rights".