Shutdown maintenance and construction workers at Muja Power Station are set to receive approximately $500,000 in compensation after a dispute between the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union and employer TWPS was settled last month.
AMWU South West organiser Brant Softley said the result was a ‘big win’ for the workers, who would receive the back pay on overtime worked since March.
“It’s great for the workers,” he said.
“Casual employees are the most maligned workers in the country.
“They have no security and can lose their jobs at any moment, so it was great for them to get a win.”
Mr Softley said the union had negotiated a new agreement with employer TWPS in March, which would see the workers receive a full-time wage plus 25 per cent for all hours worked.
He said the workers had been underpaid however, with the 25 per cent removed from any hours worked beyond 36 hours.
Mr Softley said a similar case before the Fair Work Commission in the eastern states earlier this year had also seen the casual workers receive back payments.
Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray said he was pleased to see the dispute settled.
“I am pleased that the workers at Muja have been rightfully compensated for their work with the help of the AMWU,” he said.
“Outcomes like this show the importance of unions when it comes to protecting the rights of the worker.”
TWPS declined to comment on the dispute.