About 160 Myrtleford Carter Holt Harvey timber mill workers faced a lockout after enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) talks broke down. Source: The Border Mail
Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) assistant district secretary Andrew Vendramini said on Tuesday workers gave notice of stop work action from April 18 before the company responded with a proposed lockout.
He said workers wanted a 3% pay rise annually over three years, one week’s annual leave allowable in the Christmas holiday period and better access to income protection insurance.
“The company isn’t budging on anything,” Mr Vendramini said.
Mr Vendramini said the workers gave notice of rolling four-hour stoppages and a ban on overtime for three days from Wednesday.
“The company has given all staff a letter stating that if there is any industrial action they will be locked out indefinitely,” he said.
Mr Vendramini said workers had to wait 90 days before they could make a claim for income protection insurance.
“That means they have to go three months without any wages,” he said. “They have got income protection insurance now but they’re after better access.
“It’s particularly important because of the nature of their work where they’re working with machinery in a sawmill.”
Mr Vendramini said the Myrtleford timber mill workers’ EBA had expired 12 months ago.
He said the company wanted one nationwide agreement for all its sites.
“Carter Holt Harvey sites at Tumut and Morwell have agreed to a 2% pay rise and the company wants to lock Myrtleford in at the same 2%,” Mr Vendramini said.
A Carter Holt Harvey spokesman declined to comment.
Australian Forest Industries established the mill in 1975 and Carter Holt Harvey bought it in 1995. The mill has made plywood since 1981.
A $50 million upgrade of the Myrtleford site about six years ago made it Australia’s largest plywood mill.
