BlueScope steel workers on strike

Nearly 900 steel workers from BlueScope’s New Zealand operations will go on strike for a second time in 24 hours today.

The protests follow six months of stalled pay talks, and what union members believe to be low-ball pay offers from BlueScope.

Joe Gallagher, E tu¯ union industry co-ordinator, said BlueScope refuses to budge on their offer.

“While our Government is committed to lifting wages, internationally employers are co-ordinating a strategy to hold wages down,” Gallagher said. “There is a clear and growing trend of top multi-national companies presenting low pay offers, despite big profits. We’re seeing this in the mining sector, with the low-ball offer to our members at OceanaGold, and other sectors are sending the same message.”

BlueScope’s New Zealand companies posted a profit of A$1.6 billion ($1.7b) this year.

At NZ Steel, workers received a pay rise of just one per cent over the past two years.

“Fair’s fair,” Gallagher said. “It’s time to give back to the workers who took a hit when times were tough.”

“This is hot, dirty and hazardous work and yes, our members get paid for that. But this is a dispute about a company that’s delivered an eyewatering profit and thinking it’s okay to offer a mean-spirited pay rise to its highly skilled steel workers. It isn’t.”

The strike affects members at BlueScope Pacific Steel’s rolling mill and wire mill, andat its Steel mill at Glenbrook.