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8 July 2010

AWU members at CMI Industries in Horsham (Vic) have accepted the terms of a new agreement which will see them receive seven per cent in pay increases over two and a half years.

AWU Victorian Secretary Cesar Melhem said the deal also included improved conditions vital to the job security and welfare of members at the site.

 “This is a victory for a group of workers who stuck together when the company did not want a new agreement negotiated. Importantly, this agreement lays the groundwork for all future negotiations,” Mr Melhem said.

Workers at the site undertook industrial action of rolling stoppages throughout June as a result of stalled Enterprise Agreement talks. The agreement under which they have been working expired two years ago and in the time since, they have not received a pay increase.

Fair Work Australia conciliated throughout the process, and Commissioner Wayne Blair spent a day in Horsham at the site talking to the company and the union.

 “This outcome proves the value of Fair Work Australia, and the legislation supporting it, in helping parties reach reasonable outcomes. We are particularly grateful to Commissioner Blair for his attention to this case which was so important for our members at CMI,” Mr Melhem said.

Among conditions which will be part of the new agreement is improved security around redundancy and entitlements. A timeline for negotiations towards the next Enterprise Agreement has also been laid down.

 AWU Organiser Ronnie Hayden said workers had been patient and only taken industrial action when all other avenues for a settlement of the dispute had been exhausted.

 “These are very dedicated people who simply wanted to be treated with respect and dignity. Their message was very clear from the outset, and I think they have now been rewarded for that,” Mr Hayden said.