Sweet progress on sugar pay talks

Bundaberg Sugar employee relations manager David Pickering.

Max Fleet

FROM 6am on Monday, representatives of the Australian Workers' Union will be talking with employees and casuals at Bundaberg Sugar over a pay and conditions package being offered by management.

“They have given the union full access to the sites so we can go and talk to every employee,” said AWU central district secretary Keith Ballin. The company has four sites in the area.

It is a step forward - one which has taken months to achieve - in a battle between unions and management to negotiate a deal which suits both parties.

At the centre of the dispute, which has sparked repeated union threats of industrial action, is a week's travel leave, which has been in place for many years and is additional to the five weeks' annual leave for shift workers and four weeks for day employees.

In the latest round of talks yesterday, on the day the federal government's Fair Work laws came into effect, Bundaberg Sugar put on the table a package which proposes buying out that week in return for an increase in leave loading from 25% to 50%.

“This is an additional week's pay for the annual leave period,” the offer said.

“A total loading of two weeks' pay over and above normal weekly income that could be used towards holiday expenses.”

In addition, a wage rise of 3.5% this year and 3.5% from March 2010 is being put up, along with an increase in mileage and shift allowances.

Employee relations manager David Pickering is clear about the focus of the company in the negotiations.

“This EBA is all about productivity,” he said, adding that buying back the travel week from the employees would add 300 “man weeks” to the rosters.

“It's a huge amount of time and this will actually help us run the business better, and we will pay for it,” he said.

The union has consistently said the employees' leisure time with families “is not for sale”.

Mr Ballin said no mass meetings were planned. Instead, the union would hold small meetings with various sections of the workforce.