Boeing Urged To Answer Its Workers' New Year Wish

Australian Workers' Union National Secretary Bill Shorten said the engineers, from the RAAF Williamtown base near Newcastle, were hopeful that Boeing could put aside its pride early in the New Year and get serious about ending the dispute.

"No company benefits when it has 27 skilled workers on the picket line for more than 200 days," Mr Shorten said.

"Our members would willingly go back to work tomorrow if only Boeing was prepared to guarantee that its Newcastle workers can be represented by their union in all future negotiations about their pay and conditions.

"Millions of other Australians enjoy that right in their workplaces every day. Why should these engineers be forced to accept unfair individual contracts instead of a collective agreement?"

Mr Shorten said pressure was likely to mount on Boeing when the NSW Industrial Relations Commission completed its inquiry into the dispute in coming weeks, and handed its report to the NSW State Government.

"If Boeing is serious about mending its relationship with its workers, it shouldn't wait to be dragged to the negotiating table but should take the lead now."

AWU Newcastle Branch Secretary Kevin Maher said the engineers should be proud of the steps and sacrifices they had made in 2005 to bring about a fairer workplace.

"We are urging Boeing to use the dawning of a New Year as an impetus to wipe the sleet clean, and start looking for ways to end this dispute so both parties can have a positive, productive 2006," Mr Maher said.