Adelaide submarine workers to strike for better pay deal, conditions

Hundreds of South Australian submarine workers are at risk of leaving the state for better pay in Western Australia as a union demands a 17 per cent increase for crews.

Highly trained workers critical to the AUKUS delivery are at risk of leaving South Australia if demands for a 17 per cent pay increase are not met, a union says.

About 150 workers downed tools on Monday morning with another 100 set to walk off the job in the afternoon amid dragging negotiations for pay parity with Western Australia.

Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union SA state secretary Stuart Gordon said ASC workers at the Osborne Naval Shipyard were paid less than WA crews because of their postcode.

Mr Gordon said workers were being trained by South Australian crews at the shipyard but once they returned to the west, they were paid more.

Submarine workers strike at ASC at Osborne on Monday morning. Picture: Supplied

He said that put worker retention at risk, which was critical for the current Collins class submarines maintenance and the future AUKUS build.

“These guys are seeking parity with Western Australia – there’s no other workforce in Australia who has the skills that these guys do,” he said.

“They actually cut the submarines in half and refurbish it.

“If we don’t maintain these workers and respect the workforce and pay them money equal to that in Western Australia, we are going to lose them and those skills.

“And the most important time is when the AUKUS comes on (in 2030).

“They will be expecting these guys to transition across.”

Mr Gordon said enterprise bargaining negotiations began in November.

He did not rule out future industrial action including 24-hour stoppages if negotiations did not progress.

SA workers are calling for pay parity with their West Australian counterparts. Picture: Supplied

A union official rallies the chargers. Picture: Supplied

In a statement, ASC said it had made “a number of offers” to workers that considered the economic and environmental cost factors of the two locations.

It said the AMWU and Electrical Trades Union rejected the offers, and ASC had suggested engaging the Fair Work Commissioner to review the claims and “mandate an outcome”.

But the unions rejected the proposal.

ASC said it was no different to other national companies where workforces transferred its knowledge to other states.

ASC managing director and CEO Stuart Whiley said the company would continue negotiating with the unions and workers “in good faith, to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome”.

”Despite ASC’s best intentions, we have been unable to reach an agreement with the unions and their members in regard to their claims,” he said.

Hundreds of Osborne subs workers down tools

Earlier on Monday, hundreds of critical AUKUS submarine workers walked off the job in a push for fairer pay and conditions under protected union action.

About 350 trades and operator support workers at the Osborne Naval Shipyard downed tools at the government-operated ASC maintenance and sustainment facility as a union calls for pay parity with Western Australian counterparts.

Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union SA said ASC workers in WA received 17 per cent on average more than SA workers.

That is despite the WA workers being trained in South Australia, effectively meaning those being trained earned more than those doing the training, the union said.

“Hundreds of submarine experts work on the Collins Class submarines which are an essential part of Australia’s current naval capability,” AMWU SA assistant state secretary Stuart Gordon said.

“It’s a slap in the face for trainers in SA who are being paid less than those they are training.

“They should be paid more, but they’re just asking to be paid the same. These workers deserve respect.

“ASC management needs to get serious about attracting and retaining skilled workers in South Australia so that they’re not losing them to other states like WA.

“Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarine fleet will serve an important role in our national security. The maintenance crew responsible for keeping these submarines in operation should be paid accordingly for the important work they do.”

About 350 workers will walk off the job at Osborne Naval Shipyard on Monday. Picture: Brenton Edwards

The union urged ASC to address the discrepancy it claimed had been ignored during enterprise bargaining negotiations.

Mr Gordon said the state’s workers were “performing essential work” and supported ASC workers in Western Australia, but were paid less.

“The SA division of ASC fulfils a vital role in Australia’s submarine capability by performing a huge volume of work unlike anywhere else across the country,” he said.

“They are the only team able to carry out the Collins’ deep maintenance, or Full-Cycle Docking where the boat is completely stripped down and has its massive diesel engines and main motor removed and refurbished.

“The WA division of ASC only do the running maintenance of the boats and breakdowns.

“The SA submarine workers are constantly helping and training their WA colleagues, and fixing all the equipment they remove as the SA division has the skills, expertise and knowledge to undertake these tasks.”

Originally published as Adelaide submarine workers to strike for better pay deal, conditions