Bridgestone Workers Vote to Strike in Australia

Employees at a Bridgestone factory in South Australia have voted to take strike action in order to obtain a wage rise. The company offered workers at its Salisbury plant a pay rise of up to 6 per cent over four years, however the workers’ representative body, the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union (LHMU), has referred to the rise as insulting.

The 500 workers want an increase of 4 per cent per year for the life of their new collective agreement. LHMU spokesman Jim Watson says the worker’s strong response sends a clear message to Bridgestone management. “That shows how angry the members are and that they are prepared to go into that industrial action in order to progress their claims.

“Within a week or so we’ll have to go to the members and get some directions, some instructions from them as to which action they wish to put in place first.” Options for industrial action include bans on overtime and 24 or 48 hour stoppages.