Sucre Ethique - Australia : Mackay, Herbert and Burdekin sugar mill workers on strike

Courier mail - jeudi 10 juin 2010

WORKERS at seven north Queensland sugar mills have walked off the job as they push sugar giant CSR for a better deal

Workers from CSR-owned Sucrogen’s seven mills in the Mackay, Herbert and Burdekin districts walked off for 24 hours from 7am On Thursday over an enterprise bargaining agreement with CSR’s sugar arm.

The industrial action involves members of the Electrical Trades Union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU).

AWU northern district secretary Cowboy Stockholm said talks with Fair Work Australia had failed to resolve the dispute.

"We’ve been at an impasse for quite some time," Mr Stockholm said.

"I just hope we come to a speedy and amicable solution to the dispute (and) we get a decent outcome for our workers.

"Sugar prices have never been better, and we’d like to think we’d be able to maintain our working conditions and realise a decent pay increase."

The parties later arranged to take part in a Fair Work Australia telephone conference.