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MEET THE DELEGATE
Brett loves
footy and the
Dragons.
Words: Laura Macfarlane Photography: Getty Images
AWU DELEGATE AT PORT KEMBLA STEELWORKS
BRETT WITHERS
Iam a senior operator and team leader
for Veolia Environmental Services.
My job entails planning and
overseeing high pressure water
blasting work, refectories demolition
and types of industrial services. I am also an
AWU delegate and have been on the
Branch’s executive for eight years.
Being in a union goes without saying
for me. Ever since I started working I have
been a union member, starting when
I was in the building industry. My dad
was a member and delegate of the BWIU.
I started my working life in the same
industry in Darwin and the new parliament
house in Canberra where I joined the
Union. I have been a member ever since.
The moment that infl uenced me to get
active in the Union and not just be a
member was when I was a contractor at
Bluescope Steel, then called BHP. We had
no amenities so we used to sit in the gutter
to eat our lunch. At some point the
management accused us of leaving the
gutter dirty and the unfairness of that
galvanised me into becoming more active,
to do something, to stick up for my own
and my co-workers’ rights.
We approached the AWU to get them
to act for us and things started to improve.
The biggest issue that I am faced with
as a delegate at the moment is the
reduction in the steel industry in Australia.
We’ve lost 40 people in my area since
the global fi nancial crisis hit and Bluescope
is cost cutting. For example, things
that should be cleaned up are being left
longer. Jobs we did daily are now being
done weekly or monthly or not at all.
We have lost half our work due to
closures of number 6 blast furnace,
number 3 furnace at the BOS, coke ovens
and casting fl oors.
That said, we have worked for and
achieved a fair EBA in my area.
My wife Helen and I live in the Illawarra
with our daughters Casey and Tristan. We
love the area because of the beautiful
beaches, good fi shing and camping and
going to watch my NRL team the Dragons.
In my spare time I play golf and I love
fi shing. I don’t own a boat, but go out with
Brett’s
a keen
fisherman.
mates who do. I also run the Veolia fi shing
competition which started after a crib room
argument over who was the best fi sherman
in Veolia, we chase fl athead in lakes and
rivers on the south coast.
I would love own my own fi shing boat
but being the good dad that I am, my two
girls’ ballet lessons and dancing comes fi rst.
They are both keen dancers and compete
in competitions throughout the year.
Both my daughters are studying dance
and take it seriously. Maybe when the girls
are grown up I’ll get that boat after all.
“Being in a union goes without saying for me. Ever since
I started working I have been a union member, starting
when I was in the building industry.”
www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER 45