AIRC 'failing workers in Boeing dispute'

By Australian Associated Press

Twenty-five workers, employed by Boeing Australia at its maintenance plant at the Williamtown RAAF base near Newcastle, in NSW, have been on strike since June over their demands for a union-negotiated collective agreement.

Boeing wants the workers, who repair and maintain the RAAF's F/A-18 Hornet jet fighters, to continue working under individual common law agreements with the remainder of its workforce.

The striking workers have been maintaining a picket line outside the RAAF base for more than 100 days, while the 56 full time Boeing engineers who are not on strike have stayed on the job keeping the maintenance work on schedule.

The AIRC is currently hearing an application by the Australian Workers' Union (AWU) to force a secret ballot at the Williamtown base.

The union says its intention is to end the dispute by proving the majority of Boeing's aircraft engineers and technicians favour a collective agreement.

The company disputes this claim, saying 93 per cent of workers chose to stay on their individual contracts when given the choice three months ago.

The matter, being heard by AIRC senior deputy president Jan Marsh, was on Wednesday adjourned until November 8.

Speaking outside the commission, AWU national secretary Bill Shorten said he was disappointed at the AIRC's lack of leadership on the dispute.

"I accept the law is hard and I don't think they can simply end the dispute, but I think sometimes when you've got parties in two corners then leadership is required," Mr Shorten said.

"I think the commission in a practical sense has been failing these workers."

There was scope for the AIRC to force an end to the dispute through conciliation.

But Mr Shorten said it had instead chosen not to act "actively and aggressively".

"There's plenty of disputes where the commission will get the recalcitrant parties in the room and just mediate.

"It's almost as though the commission is intimidated by Boeing."

The AIRC's lack of action was disappointing at a time when the commission was facing an uncertain future because of the federal government's proposed workplace changes, Mr Shorten said.

"Clearly there are two points of view, clearly we aren't making any progress ourselves, it seems to me (this scenario) is exactly what the commission was created to do."

Comment was being sought from the AIRC.

Article by Australian Associated Press.

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