You would be forgiven for thinking that Vestas believe they can operate a business without a workforce.
ETU members have been trying to get an EBA in place that covers 3 out of the 5 Vestas wind farms here in WA since February this year. They aren’t asking for much, just to close the gap between the pay and conditions on offer at Vestas other 2 wind farms in the west.
But Vestas are refusing to bargain with the ETU despite the business holding a ballot to confirm that employees do in fact want a union EBA and the result being a resounding YES.
Then there are the safety issues. In the space of 3 months an 80-metre-tall wind turbine FELL OVER (Believe it, it really did!), an apprentice was run over by a telehandler and had to be air-lifted to hospital where he underwent multiple surgeries, and last but not least a contractor rolled his vehicle on an access road, the third rollover in the same spot since construction began.
So while wind energy might be sustainable, Vestas’ management clearly believe their workforce are expendable.
Mark Mocerino ETU Renewables Organiser
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