RAAF action needed to resolve Boeing dispute: AWU

By ABC Online

The national secretary of the Australian Workers Union (AWU), Bill Shorten, made the comments while giving evidence to the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) in relation to a strike that is nearing its 200th day.

Mr Shorten says although the RAAF is not responsible for the dispute, they are suffering its effects and should act.

"There is literally hundreds of years of aviation maintenance and military experience sitting on the grass out the front of a RAAF base," he said referring to the maintenance workers on a picket line outside the base.

"You can't take this level of skill out of the system and have it not affect the quality of maintenance.

"I think the RAAF are sort of pretending to be like ostriches, putting their heads in the sand, pretending the dispute doesn't affect them."

The 25 workers want Boeing to sign a collective agreement negotiated with the union, after trialing individual contracts for four years.

Boeing wants them to remain on individual contracts.

The workers repaired and maintained the RAAF's F/A-18 Hornet jet fighters.

Article from ABC Online