BY BRONWEN BEECHEY
ADELAIDE — One hundred and twenty steelworkers at BHP's Whyalla plant walked off the job on October 17, after the company refused to secure their entitlements. The workers, all members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), were joined in their action by workers at seven other BHP plants, including in Newcastle, Sunshine and Geelong.
The action was sparked by BHP's decision to sell about half of its steel business. A new publicly listed company, One Steel, is being set up to take over BHP's long products division.
Union organiser Jim Watson told Green Left Weekly that the AMWU was asking the company to protect workers' entitlements, such as recreation and sick pay, by paying them into Manusafe, a union trust fund.
"We believe that the plants may be sold by One Steel, and in a highly competitive industry there is no guarantee that these workers will keep their jobs", he said. "BHP has assured us that it has enough capital to protect its workers' entitlements, but that's no guarantee that any company who buys those plants will."
The AMWU is involved in a similar entitlements case involving workers at Adelaide's Perry Engineering. The company went into receivership earlier this year, leaving its workers facing unemployment and no guarantee of receiving their entitlements.
Air Ride Australia announced on October 20 that it had bought the company; it has previously stated that there is "potential" for Perry's workers to be employed in the new company.