Summer Issue 2012 - cfmeu

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When their rest day [RDO] came
around they couldn't go anywhere
as they were told that under no
circumstances were they to bring
their own vehicle up to site – they
put it in the contract. They allowed
buses out when I arrived up there
but stopped soon afterwards
because a group of people had
gone out and played up...so
everyone had to suffer, stuck 170
kms from nowhere. They were not
allowed to have a quiet drink in front
of their rooms on rest day [RDO]
nights as they would be accused of
disturbing others in the camp. They
had nowhere to go to socialise and
finish drinking as the wet mess
closed at 9.30. They did eventually
get crib rooms and fixed toilets in
the lay down/stores area and
underground. They ended up
getting a snake pit [drinking area] for
when the wet mess closed and they
are going to trial a 6 pack take away
early next year instead of the 2 pack
take away they get now.
We have had great meetings up
there on all my visits this year and a
few great wins – the result of
members getting non-members to
come to the meetings and join the
union. Great wins are achieved by
keeping your powder dry and
always ready to fire because of
CFMEU membership on the job:
1) The first one was they were going
to offer them all donga rooms
with NO ensuite and I told Rio we
were not to be offered them.
2) The boys told me they wanted
afternoon flights in and out, Tenix
and Rio sat down we sorted it out
and got them fixed up.
3) They wanted overnight
accommodation for people who
had to travel over 100kms and
they got an allowance of $150
which went up 3 months ago to
$250.
4) The point of hire for eastern
staters got their flight to and from
and back payed.
5) Pip payments when on r/r got all
those fixed up and back payed
for all.
6) Our biggest win of all is that Mick
Buchan and I fought like hell and
got them the $6.00 per hour
underground allowance which is
on all hours worked being
accrued until the end of the job.
We wanted it back dated until last
year when they started, we
couldn't get that but they back
dated it to August 2012 which
adds up about $16,000 to
$17,000 on top of the pip and
redundancy. A few of the
employer’s body didn’t want this.
They stated it was outside their
agreement and but RIO TINTO
ARGYLE DIAMONDS saw this as
an issue and helped to fix it up.
JUST REMEMBER: EDUCATE
NON MEMBERS, GET THEM TO
MEETINGS AND GET THEM TO
JOIN UP...THAT’S HOW YOU GET
THINGS FIXED.
This is a great result due to a lot of
good members working together to
get things fixed. I don’t want to
name any one in particular, but we
all know the members, currently on
the project and the ones who have
left the project.
The other big result Mick and I
achieved is a 3 and 1 roster on
another project in Port Headland
and Karratha.
WELL DONE TO ALL THE TENIX
CREW UP THERE.
PAID PARENTAL LEAVE EXTENDED
From 1 January 2013, the Australian Government’s
Paid Parental Leave Scheme will be extended to
include a dedicated two week payment for working
dads or partners.
Dad and Partner Pay, provides eligible working dads or
partners with financial support to be able to take time off work to bond with
their baby in the vital early months of their baby’s life.
This new entitlement adds to the options available to families to balance
work and family commitments.
For more information visit australia.gov.au/dadandpartnerpay
Construction Worker – Summer 2012 Page 53
CFMEU