The Fair Work Commission denied the Victorian government’s bid for a hearing on Thursday night to suspend Carter Holt Harvey’s 10-week lockout on the grounds of economic hardship.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union’s (CFMEU) wanted an urgent hearing while the company and non-union members sought a delay.

The commission has set the hearing for Friday, July 7.

CFMEU president Jane Calvert condemned the company over the delay.

“Carter Holt Harvey has displayed a vicious disregard for the workers at its Myrtleford mill, their families and the Myrtleford community,” she said.

“People are hurting; over 200 workers have been locked out by the company for 70 days now.”

The solicitor representing about 60 non-union aligned members, John Suta said the union was being tactical in trying to lift the lockout before the vote on the pay deal on Friday and Saturday.

“If they got their way and the lockout was suspended at 6pm Thursday, then the pressure is off the union for Friday’s ballot,” he said.

“The timetable agitated by the unions was quite remarkable; it was impossible to comply with it given the complexities involved.

“It was the union’s intention to stymie today’s vote.”

Ms Calvert urged workers not to be stood over and to vote no for the enterprise agreement.

She said the ongoing lockout would be challenged by the Victorian government and the CFMEU.

“The company is holding workers and the town to ransom and their lawyers have today argued for further delays to the Fair Work process,” she said.

“The company’s legal representative argued that there was no problem in workers being locked out for another couple of weeks.

“Meanwhile, people are worrying about where their next meal is coming from or how they pay the rent or mortgage.

“We welcome the Victorian government’s intervention and while we wanted a hearing sooner, workers will at least have the option to vote this agreement down knowing that the company’s threat of an indefinite lockout will be challenged at the Commission.”

Carter Holt Harvey chief executive Prafull Kesha said mill workers would return to work on Sunday if the agreement was voted up on Saturday otherwise an indefinite lockout remained.

Mr Suta said the Fair Work process would prove to be “academic” if the pay deal was accepted on Saturday.

The result of a two-day secret ballot at Myrtleford RSL will be known on Saturday about 12.30pm.