Forestry workers reach pay deal
ABC News 19 July, 2010
South-east forestry union members in South Australia have backed a new work agreement with Forestry SA, ending more than 18 months of negotiations.
Travis Lawson from the CFMEU says a 2.5 per cent wage increase is slightly below the current inflation rate, but the deal has been sweetened by other benefits.
"They include a one-off $600 sign-on bonus. All the bush workers that were formerly paid a weekly allowance, that weekly allowance has now been consolidated into their overall rate," he said.
"There's been an increase to their actual standby rate and other incentives which are locked in with their new classification structure."
The agreement now has to be ratified by the Industrial Relations Commission.
Workers would be back-paid to October 10 last year.
NEW FORESTRY DEAL
WIN TV News Friday 16, Jul 2010
The final results are in from the vote on a new enterprise agreement for Forestry SA.
It's been overwhelmingly endorsed.
The new agreement has been more than 18 months in the making.
The ballot of workers closed with this morning's mail, and counting has taken place throughout the day.
"We've just had those end results posted on the intranet and to all the relevant parties now, being an 84.3 percent majority vote in favour of the enterprise agreement," CFMEU SE Organiser Travis Lawson said.
The result has surprised the union which predicted a two-thirds majority.
The main sticking point in negotiations had been Forestry SA's push to remove double time penalty payments for all fire related activities.
"That was put back on the table and helped move negotiations along somewhat," Mr Lawson said.
But workers have had to settle for a lower a pay rise than they would have preferred - because of a cap on public sector wages.
"The wage increase look is a bit below on average what is being negotiated in the region at the moment. Now the wage increase that Forestry SA employees have been offered is two and a half percent for three years," Mr Lawson said.
But bush workers have had a win with a weekly allowance being consolidated into their hourly rate.
"Now they'll get that on their overtime, annual leave, sick leave, superannuation - the whole works. We have an increased paternity and maternity leave, as well as a $600 sign on fee," he said.
New classifications will also boost wages.
"This is a pay rise and a deal that not only delivers a real wage increase to the working families that are employed by Forestry SA here in the South East region, but also will help maintain Forestry SA as a sustainable enterprise," Mr Lawson said.
The agreement now needs to be ratified by the Industrial Relations Commission.
Workers will then be backpaid to last October.
