CANEGROWERS has welcomed the end of industrial action at Tully Sugar Mill, saying it’s an example of what can be achieved when employers and unions negotiate in good faith and are prepared to compromise.
Over the weekend, Tully Sugar Limited announced that mill workers had voted in favour of a pay deal tabled by the mill following recent conciliation talks with unions in Townsville.
“This is a good outcome for the local industry,” CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens said. “It shows that a system exists where workers can be fairly represented, and which enables employers and their employees to negotiate an acceptable pay deal.
“Tully CANEGROWERS representatives have been working diligently behind the scenes with both sides to encourage a resolution, so it’s pleasing to see an agreement that is acceptable to workers at Tully Sugar.”
Tully Sugar Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese agribusiness company COFCO.
It operates one of the largest sugar mills in Australia based in the regional township of Tully, located on the Bruce Highway in Far North Queensland.
Its principal activity is the milling of sugar cane to produce raw sugar and all of its sugar is exported. The molasses it produces is sold into both the domestic cattle feed and the international markets.
Mr Menkens said the Tully deal should serve as an example to Wilmar Sugar and unions who have been locked in an increasingly bitter pay dispute since last year.
“Wilmar and unions also went through a similar non-binding conciliation process but, unlike Tully, no solution has been found. As a result, half of the industry continues to be impacted by threatened strike action.
“We now have widespread rainfall across North Queensland, and it looks like wet weather will delay crushing for the next week or two.
“I’d encourage both sides in the Wilmar-union dispute to use that time wisely, restart negotiations, and find a compromise that can let us get on with the crush when the weather clears up.”
In response, a Wilmar Sugar and Renewables spokesman, “We have been consistent from the outset that we seek a commercially sustainable outcome from enterprise bargaining. That remains our objective and our focus.”
The spokesperson confirmed that Wilmar was meeting with union representatives earlier this week on Tuesday.
Tully Sugar Mill
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