Fifty workers at Burrup Holdings in Karratha were forced to resign from their jobs over safety concerns, after they called the union for assistance.

The workers contacted the union to find out what their rights were regarding health and safety after a couple of incidents where workers were exposed to ammonia.

AMWU WA President Steve McCartney said that the union met with 50 workers off site after which they were sacked by SMS.

“They attended a meeting with us in their own time in the evening and they were all sent messages to say they were sacked.”

“They decided to attend work the next day to confirm if this was the case, but were told they had a choice of returning to work without the safety issues addressed or they could resign.”

Fifty workers chose to resign.

Mr McCartney said union officials then spent two and a half hours negotiating with the employer trying to get on site to investigate the safety concerns.

Worksafe inspected the site yesterday and have issued an improvement notice.

In another development, the company has sought injunctions against four workers who were convinced to return to work by the company. The company claims that these workers could take further action and that the AMWU and the CFMEU are supporting them.

The case, which began in the Industrial Relations Commission yesterday, is according to Mr McCartney ‘laughable.’

“The company is in the Commission trying to prove that we are behind these workers stirring the pot when it’s clear that they have serious safety problems.”

“They’d be better off trying to resolve the problems and getting their safety procedures functioning properly rather than spending time and effort coming after us.”