Alcoa workers vote for pay rise deferral

Hundreds of unionised Alcoa workers in Western Australia have today voted in favour of job security over pay increases in a bid to work with the company in the current economic uncertainty.

Some 700 Western Australian members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union this morning voted to defer previously negotiated wage increases for the next six months.

"After successfully negotiating a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement last year that would have given workers a pay increase now and again in six months, union members deferred their increases to ensure that Alcoa wasn't forced into cutting jobs as a result of the economic downturn", said AMWU state secretary Steve McCartney.

"All Western Australian workers and their families are facing serious financial pressures at the moment yet these workers have rallied together to help Alcoa out.

"The onus is now on Alcoa to ensure that they live up to the commitments made and guarantee job security for these workers."

Today's vote follows an announcement made by Alcoa earlier this month that it will cut some 15,000 jobs worldwide as part of measures to reduce costs as the economic crisis curbs demand.

However the 5000 employees and contractors that work across Alcoa's Western Australian operations have been assured no jobs will be lost in the worldwide job cut.

Alcoa has already implemented a hiring and global salary freeze.