A cargo of wheat loads at CBH’s Kwinana terminal. Photo: CBH Group

AN AGREEMENT between CBH Group and employees represented by the Maritime Union of Australia and the Electrical Trades Union has brought an end to a more than two-week lockout at the Kwinana Grain Terminal.

The lockout ceased on Saturday after union workers voted in favour of CBH’s latest enterprise agreement proposal.

While the final terms are still to be confirmed, the latest vote marks a major breakthrough in the long-running industrial dispute, which escalated from shorter stoppages to 24-hour strikes before culminating in a full lockout.

Plant operators and maintenance workers at Kwinana have been negotiating with CBH Group over a new enterprise agreement for about seven months.

CBH chief people officer Jacky Connolly said the co-operative put a new proposal to the staff and unions at the end of last week.

“Following ongoing discussions and a formal bargaining meeting over the past week, CBH put forward a fulsome proposal to give parties the best opportunity to reach agreement, which included an increase to the headline wage offer,” Ms Connolly said.

“On Friday 17 October, the unions took the offer to a workforce meeting for an informal vote and advised CBH the offer was accepted.

“With this development, all [Kwinana Grain Terminal] employees transitioned back into their normal work routines at the terminal, with the lockout ceasing on Saturday 18 October at 0700.”

In a social media post, MUA said members were returning to work after “having won massive gains in this EBA campaign”.

They said the new offer included a pay rise of 7-12 percent in the first year, followed by increases of 3.75pc and 3.5pc in the second and third years, as well as improved annual leave, extra holiday pay, eight new permanent roles, job security for long-term casuals, and back pay.

“A special shout-out must go to the staunch leadership of the delegates group, who went above and beyond despite the extreme provocation from CBH management,” the post said.

“We must also acknowledge the courage and discipline of the rank and file, who took the CBH strong-arm tactics head on and didn’t blink.”

Ms Connolly said both parties will work to finalise the agreement.

“After seven months of negotiations, this is a positive step in the right direction for all parties involved.

CBH will now work with union bargaining representatives to finalise the drafting of the enterprise agreement.

“Following drafting, a formal vote will take place on the agreement.”

The deal is well timed, with a potentially record harvest about to commence across Western Australia’s grain-growing regions.

The Kwinana Grain Terminal is WA’s largest grain-export facility, shipping more than half of the state’s total grain production on average each year.

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