EBA win for members at Legeneering

Offshore Alliance members have again demonstrated their strength and tenacity by securing big wins after an almost year-long campaign for members at Legeneering Australia, a maintenance and engineering company specialising in the offshore industry.

The campaign involved members taking 17 days of protected industrial action, saw off attempts by the company to impose non-union workplace agreements, and resulted in the united membership achieving significant gains in the terms and conditions of their employment.

The Offshore Alliance, made up of The Australian Workers’ Union and the Maritime Union of Australia approached the company to commence bargaining for an enterprise agreement over a year ago. When the company refused, the Alliance made an application to the Fair Work Commission to have bargaining commence

The Alliance failed in its first bid to secure an order from the Fair Work Commission for the company to start bargaining with its offshore maintenance workforce. Undeterred, the Alliance tried again four weeks later and secured an order.

This forced Legeneering to begin bargaining for an enterprise agreement, with the process officially beginning on September 9 2020.

 

 

But after months of procrastination about members’ claims, Legeneering made the decision to offer a substandard non-union EBA to vote in December, which Alliance members promptly voted down on January 5.

With negotiations stalled Alliance members launched an extended campaign of protected industrial action commencing in early June.

During this time Alliance members took a total 17 days of protected industrial action, overwhelmingly voted down yet another Legeneering non-union EBA offered by the company in June, and prepared for more planned protected industrial action stretching until at least September.

 

 

AWU WA Branch Secretary Brad Gandy says Legeneering was finally forced to realise it was not going to get anywhere with its agenda and had to listen to its workers.

As a result, Legeneering workers were finally offered an Alliance-backed EBA that secured:

• Rates of pay increased immediately by a minimum of $24,000 per annum.
• Annual wage increases totalling 10.5% over the life of the EBA (4%, 3.25% and 3.25%).
• Guaranteed immediate creation of a number of permanent positions, with more permanent positions to be created each year
• Income protection.
• Fixed rosters.
• Removal of maximum-term/fixed-task employment.
• Employee representative provisions.
• Improved dispute resolution procedures
• Paid training.
• Five weeks’ leave for permanent employees.
• Cyclone stand-down pay.

“This outcome shows what union members standing strong can achieve,” Mr Gandy said.

“These workers were prepared to engage in protected action for months at a time in pursuit of their claim of an industry standard agreement. Twice Legeneering tried to force non-union agreements on them and twice they stood firm and overwhelmingly rejected them.”

Mr Gandy says the Alliance will continue to work secure agreements that will deliver increased pay, better conditions and most importantly, job security for workers in the offshore sector.

If you work in offshore oil and gas, join the Offshore Alliance today. CLICK HERE