Adelaide ASC workers strike again over stalled pay talks
HUNDREDS of workers at Adelaide shipbuilder ASC have launched industrial action once again over protracted pay negotiations.
Union members marched outside ASC’s headquarters in Osborne on Thursday morning in a show of defiance to the Federal Government and the shipbuilder.
“This stop work meeting is another clear message to the company that we won’t accept being paid under public service guidelines and force the Federal Government to change its stance,” Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union assistant secretary Peter Bauer said.
ASC Shipbuilding workers marched to the Submarine maintenance site in support of the protest strike action over the Enterprise Bargaining restrictions placed on ASC management negotiators by the Federal Conservative Government
Workers launched five days of strike action last year over the same issue — lobbying Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne’s office and urging him to let ASC bargain with the union.
Mr Bauer said he expected industrial action would continue in coming weeks as workers continued to fight a proposal to “treat us like public servants”.
“We’re not public servants and until the Federal Government accept that we’ll continue to fight,” he said.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann and ASC have been contacted for comment.
Speaking after last year’s strikes, Mr Cormann said: “As a government business enterprise, ASC is responsible for managing its relations with employees“.
