CEPU Members at BAE Osborne are standing up to their employer in a fight to win a real pay rise and pay parity with ASC workers at Osborne.
Members are seeking pay parity with the workers at ASC who recently won a 30% pay increase over 3 years to put them in line with their WA counterparts. BAE members in Osborne are working in the same shipbuilding industry – on a site right next door to the ASC workers who won their fight last year.
Their work and skills are as important and valuable as the workers at ASC, and they should be paid a wage in line with what ASC workers earn. It is outrageous and greedy that the bosses at BAE are trying to deny them what they deserve while the company tenders huge profits from the AUKUS submarine deal.
Members voted to take Protected Industrial Action in February of this year when BAE refused to agree to the pay increase being asked by the workers. CEPU members are fighting alongside AWU and AMWU workers in a huge show of strength among the entirety of BAE staff.
There are ongoing rolling stoppages and strategic and targeted action to block movement across the site. Negotiations are at a standstill and BAE has applied to the FWC to mediate the issue which begins next week.
The workers at BAE are holding strong and have reduced their claims to just that of pay parity – and are still being denied by BAE. But we won’t give up until we win!
Shame on BAE, and solidarity with workers at ASC who took their action and won their 30% increase. If they hadn’t stood up then, we wouldn’t be able to now. A rising tide lifts all boats.
Solidarity to all.