The AMWU has secured a series of union collective agreements that boost pay and conditions at Thomas & Coffey sites across the Hunter.
Thomas & Coffey has five sites and 300 employees and is a major player in industrial maintenance and mine services in the region.
Previous low rates of pay were allowing the company to undercut their competitors on price and putting downward pressure on pay across the industry, said AMWU Organiser Daniel Wallace.
The AMWU has now secured union agreements at four Thomas & Coffey worksites and are currently negotiating at the fifth site.
The two most recently negotiated agreements boost pay significantly with:
• pay rises of at least 8% in the first 12 months
• site allowance of $1.50 an hour
• a new travel allowance for those required to travel for work of between $28 and $84 a day.
The agreements also improve job security by removing the ability of the company to stand full-time workers down without pay in quiet periods.
“The workers now have the security of knowing they can rely on their 38-hour week,” said Mr Wallace.
With industry booming in the Hunter, workers had felt they weren’t getting their fair share of company profits, said Kurri workplace delegate Tim Jackson.
“Morale was low because the company paid peanuts. Now they are seeing a bit more money in their pocket, blokes are saying it’s worth it. We’ve got better conditions too.
“There’s still a bit of room to improve, but it’s been a good experience to work together to negotiate a better deal.”
Workers were willing to take their time and stand firm for an agreement they were happy with, Mr Wallace said.
At one site, workers voted to take Protected Industrial Action with the ballot winning 98% support.
“Once they showed they were prepared to take action, they were able to get a good outcome.
“The next step will be to consolidate the five agreements down to two; one for industrial maintenance and one for mine services. That will give our members better job opportunities to move between work sites and hang on to their conditions.”
The new agreements at Thomas & Coffey will have knock-on effects across the Hunter, with the company now offering competitive rates of pay to local workers and the union better able to argue for pay rises at competing operations.