Wilmar strikes: ETU claims sugar company tries to stop legal industrial action

Sugar giant Wilmar has been accused of “disgraceful” conduct by trying to undermine workers’ rights to engage in legal industrial action.

Wilmar Sugar Australia's Victoria Mill near Ingham in the Herbert River district. Picture: Supplied

Sugar giant Wilmar has been accused of “disgraceful” conduct by trying to undermine workers’ rights to engage in legal industrial action.

The Electrical Trades Union said Wilmar Sugar and Renewables had requested a hearing with the Fair Work Commission at 4pm on Thursday to ask that members of the ETU, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and Australian Workers Union be prevented from taking further industrial action across its eight mills.

ETU Organiser Liam Sharkey said the right to take lawful industrial action was “vital for workers negotiation for fair pay and safe workplaces”.

“Wilmar is scraping the bottom of the barrel with this attempt at the Commission.”

He said the right to take action was protected by law and “was won by workers over decades”.

“It’s just disgraceful that the company will go to such lengths instead of bargaining in good faith and offering its workforce a decent pay rise.”

Unionised employees from Wilmar Sugar and Renewables’ Victoria and Macknade mills in Herbert River on strike in Ingham. Picture: Cameron Bates

The ETU also took issue with Wilmar’s claims that industrial action had caused a delay to the start of the sugar-cane harvest, saying four days of action did not equate to a 17-day delay at some mills.

“Workers have been doing 12 to 16 hour shifts in the months leading up to the crush, working themselves to the bone in a bid to have the mills ready,” Mr Sharkey said.

“With huge amounts of long-term experienced staff saying ‘enough’s enough’ and walking out the door, the mills have been full of contractors – a consequence that’s seen one of the worst starts to the crush season with reliability of the plant at an all-time low.”

The AWU said Wilmar was reaping what it sowed amid reports the crush had been delayed “due to staffing shortages caused by low wages”.

“At least one of Wilmar’s Mills is experiencing constant delays due to the mill’s inability to attract staff,” Northern District Secretary Jim Wilson said.

“The interruption in the crush will harm the whole community and this isn’t caused by strikes or the weather – it’s Wilmar’s low wages that fail to attract skilled workers.”

He said Kalamia Mill in Ayr was experiencing “severe delays to the crush due to low staffing”.

“We are deeply concerned about the economy, jobs and lifestyle of Ayr residents if the crush continues to be delayed,” he said.

“No doubt Wilmar will try to blame the staffing shortages on their workforce as well, and not the below industry standard rates they pay.”

A Wilmar Sugar cane train locomotive. Picture: Cameron Laird

Mr Wilson said the best way forward was for Wilmar to give workers a fair pay rise, saying the company was “running out of options and running out of time.”

Wilmar said employers had rights under Fair Work legislation, “including the right to respond to industrial action”.

“Asking the Fair Work Commission to order suspension of industrial action is a response to planned action,” a spokesman said.

Mr Sharkey said Wilmar would “say anything to make its workers look bad to the community”.

“But workers have the support of their local community and the sugar community behind them,” he said.

“They are not backing down and they won’t be bullied by this multinational corporation.”

He said its members knew they had a right to take industrial action.

“How dare Wilmar try to undermine their legal right to take action … It’s a disgrace,” he said.

“I can’t say I’m surprised by yet another grubby tactic from this company, and it just strengthens the resolve of our members at the mills.

“We will not back down.”

Originally published as Wilmar strikes: ETU claims sugar company tries to stop legal industrial action