Maintenance workers at a remote aluminium plant in the Northern Territory are standing up to operators Rio Tinto, by calling for the continuation of a long standing roster.
 
Last week 333 of the 403 employees at Gove Alumina voted against the company’s latest proposed workplace agreement. A result that reflects the mood of the Nhulunbuy community, according to senior union delegate at the site Steve Memis.  
 
“The support we’re getting on this has been sensational. Everyone in the town is behind us, the businesses, community groups, they will all be impacted.”
 
Rio Tinto want to alter the existing roster for maintenance department workers from an even time roster  (four days on, four days off ) to a nine-day fortnight roster.
 
The current roster has been in place for 15 years and workers believe the change will come at a significant cost to Nhulunbuy’s community based lifestyle.
 
“This is about the work/life balance of workers at Gove and what is practical for the township of Nhulunbuy (situated in the territory’s far north-east).
 
“Having a good percentage of the workers on the same rostered days will put pressure on camping and fishing permits, on retail and hospitality. It’ll mean families who share the caring time of their children will be forced to put them into childcare that is already limited.” 
 
Despite the efforts of the AMWU to reach a new union collective agreement with the company since the last expired in 2008, Rio Tinto have refused to honour workers’ requests to maintain conditions, including the rosters.
 
“I have been here for over 30 years. There is nothing to suggest productivity would improve by changing the roster, if anything it would decrease.
 
“We have done the calculations and shown Rio the graphs and data, yet they still refuse to budge.”
 
With Rio Tinto’s recent offer rejected by the workers, AMWU Organiser Bryan Wilkins hoped the company would accept the wishes of its workers and the community. 
 
“It’s up to Rio Tinto now. Their proposals have been rejected on three occasions. Last time they packed away their bat and ball and didn’t resume negotiations for six months. This is now several years in the making.
 
“The longer it goes on, the greater the need for wage increases to be included in any new agreement as well.  They are not making this any easier for themselves,” Mr Wilkins said.