Wilmar Sugar, workers unions still at loggerheads over pay talks

A union representing sugar-industry workers says fresh strikes have not been ruled out as pay negotiations with Wilmar falter.

Victoria Mill, Herbert River. Picture: Cameron Laird

A union representing sugar industry workers says fresh strikes have not been ruled out as pay negotiations with Wilmar falter.

The Australian Workers Union said on Friday that it would meet with its delegates in the coming days “to discuss industrial action moving forward”.

A Wilmar spokesman said representatives of Australia’s largest raw sugar producer and union representatives held four hours of talks in Townsville on Thursday.

He said the company was prepared to consider increases in a range between 14.25 per cent and 15 per cent, but with productivity gains at the “upper end of that range”.

He said unions, meanwhile, were prepared to consider increases in a range between 18 per cent and 22 per cent.

Wilmar Sugar and Renewables has developed a virtual tour of Macknade Mill to preserve the history of Australia's oldest operating sugar mill.

The spokesman said progress was difficult while unions “persisted with claims that are not supported by available economic indicators and independent forecasts”.

“The commercial reality remains that we cannot sustain the wage increases the unions are seeking,” he said.

“We need to be sustainable in order to compete in the global market, grow and diversify, securing jobs and economic contribution in the longer term.”

AWU Northern District Secretary Jim Wilson said the three unions negotiating with Wilmar had provided “indisputable data that the cost of living over the last four years has dramatically outpaced the wage increases Wilmar have paid to mill workers”.

“Wilmar have instead stuck to their discredited, questionable figures which include aggregate quarterly inflation figures to artificially lower the rate,” he said.

“I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that Wilmar have got the figures wrong again, this is a company that claims four days of industrial action have delayed the start of the crush by several weeks.”

Wilmar Sugar and Renewables said it was firing up its “after delays caused largely by industrial action brought on by unions over recent weeks”.

“All four Burdekin mills are crushing cane and making raw sugar, molasses and renewable energy,” the spokesman said.

“The company’s other four mills – located in the Herbert, Proserpine and Sarina regions – are scheduled to start production early next week.”

Mr Wilson said on Friday that at least one of Wilmar’s mills “may have to stop for up to six hours a day due to Wilmar being unable to attract staff at the wages they offer”.

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

Wilmar said the Fair Work Commission would be updated on Friday on the negotiations for a new enterprise agreement covering about 1200 company employees.

Originally published as Wilmar Sugar, workers unions still at loggerheads over pay talks