FED: Largest BHP steel works won't strike next week

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2001
FED: Largest BHP steel works won't strike next week

Workers at BHP Steel's largest steelworks at Port Kembla in New South Wales will not
take part in a 24-hour nationwide strike next week.

The strike on Monday is expected to involve more than 6,000 workers from BHP Steel
operations across the country.

A letter from the Australian Workers Union posted at the Port Kembla site, in the Illawarra
region, advises workers that Monday's strike will only involve BHP Steel sites that have
not yet taken industrial action.

The Port Kembla operations have been crippled by rolling stoppages for the past three
months after BHP Steel refused to back away from a plan to impose forced redundancies
as part of a pay agreement.

However, it remains possible that workers at Port Kembla will instead impose work bans,
limiting operations at the site during the national action.

BHP Steel says it expects the strike will cost the company up to $3 million in lost production.

However, the company says the action will not force a management backdown on workplace reforms.

AAP RTV nd/jjs/aa/jh

KEYWORD: BHP STEEL (SYDNEY)

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