BAE workers allegedly locked out in union dispute

Workers planning industrial action at BAE Systems’ Henderson shipyard have been turned away from the facility today, according to the Electrical Trades Union’s WA branch.

The union claims around 70 workers were locked out from the facility as part of an ongoing negotiation with the shipbuilder over pay.

ETU WA spokesperson Mark Mocerino said the workers were preparing to carry out bans on certain duties – action understood to have been protected by the results of a Fair Work Commission ballot – but were turned away all together after a morning meeting.

“They went into work this morning, the manager spoke to them all and said, ‘are you going to do your duties, or are you taking bans?’,” he said.

“The guys said ‘look, we’re not going to do particular duties’. They were told they needed to go home and couldn’t be on site.

“They all got marched off site.

“The company has taken an overreaction and blocked them out all together.”

The ETU said the plan to undertake protected action was covered by a Fair Work Commission ballot published on November 13, in which most of its members voted in favour of action.

The ballot followed a lengthy period of negotiation between the ETU and BAE, with the union demanding a 9 per cent pay rise for its staff in the first year to cover CPI increases, followed by 5 per cent increases in the two years thereafter.

The ETU said BAE had offered a 4 per cent increase, followed by two increases of 3 per cent.

A previous pay deal, which gave staff a 1.5 per cent annual pay increase, came to an end in September.

Mr Mocerino said the Maritime Union of Australia and Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union were also at the bargaining table with the shipbuilder and expected to undertake their own ballots following a conciliation hearing later this week.

“Once that ballot goes out to their members they will cast their vote on whether they want to take action or not, and from what we gather they do want to take action,” he said.

“Once that’s done, we’re hoping around the 15^th [of December] the other two unions should be able to take action as well.

“Then it will be all three of us out there together.”

A spokesperson for BAE told Business News the company continued to negotiate with the unions towards and enterprise agreement which ensured improvements to wages and long-term job security for employees.

"We continue to negotiate in good faith with the aim of achieving an outcome that balances reward and sustainability, to ensure value for money to the Commonwealth and taxpayer," they said.