Boeing stands down RAAF F-18 jet workers over individual contracts

The AWU said about 45 aircraft mechanical engineers at the Williamtown RAAF Base near Newcastle were stood down this morning by Boeing Australia Ltd, a subsidiary of the US-based aerospace giant Boeing Hawker de Havilland.

AWU National Secretary Bill Shorten said Boeing had overreacted to the workers' week-old paper work ban on the filling in of time sheets to protest the company's refusal to negotiate a collective union agreement to replace individual contracts traditionally offered by Boeing.

"The workers are professionals who want to keep working to continue regular maintenance of the RAAF FA-18 jet fighters, but Boeing is refusing them work. A clear majority of the workers at Williamtown have expressed their democratic preference for a union agreement instead of the unfair individual contracts. Boeing should respect the workers' freedom of choice and democratic right to a collective work agreement," Mr Shorten said.

AWU Newcastle Branch Secretary Kevin Maher questioned the legality of the stand-downs and said Boeing, as an American based multinational company, did not appear to understand Australian industrial law.

"Instead of talking to their workers about a new collective agreement that is supported by a clear majority of employees, Boeing chooses to refuse them work," Mr Maher said.

"A union agreement could provide better conditions than the individual contracts including guaranteed pay rises, longer leave entitlements, increased job security, protection from unfair dismissal and other benefits available to other workers under union agreements."

"Boeing's individual contracts are inferior to a union agreement because they are unfair, discriminatory and secretive. The individual contracts breach the Australian principal of equal pay for equal work because the company is paying some workers up to $2 an hour less than other people doing the same job under the same classification," Mr Shorten said.

Boeing workers were protesting today outside the main entrance to the RAAF Base at Williamtown near Newcastle.

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