THE lockout at Carter Holt Harvey’s Myrtleford timber mill remains in place after the company denied a plea from union workers to return to work.
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Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) assistant district secretary Andrew Vendramini said members had appealed to the company over the weekend to lift the two-month lockout so they could return to work on Monday.
“The company haven’t opened the gates,” he said on Monday morning.
“They sent an email out this morning saying they are not going to remove the lockout until the workers vote up the new agreement.
“They are forcing them to vote for an agreement they don’t want.”
Mill workers will vote for the second time on the company’s pay deal on Friday and Saturday.
Last week the CMFEU lifted its notice of industrial action, which led to the lockout of about 200 workers since late April.
Mr Vendramini said it was the company’s fault the wage negotiations had dragged on for 15 months.
“The members are pretty upset the company hasn’t opened the gates and instead they’re sitting around outside in the cold,” he said.
Mr Vendramini said union members had been urged to attend a community meeting, chaired by the member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy, at Myrtleford on Monday night.
He said union members felt demoralised some people in the community didn’t understand their plight.
“It’s an opportunity for people to put their opinions,” he said.
“It’s an opportunity for our members to have a say.”
Carter Holt Harvey representatives have declined to speak to The Border Mail.