STAFF WRITERS
THE 30 day lockout of more than 300 pulp and paper workers by Nippon Paper’s Opal at Maryvale is over, after workers voted on Saturday night (February 15) to accept Opal’s improved deal.
The Maryvale members returned to work on Sunday (February 16) from 6am after being locked out by Opal for 30 days.
The sticking point in negotiations had been Opal’s proposal to slash wages and conditions dramatically in a proposal that would have left workers worse off across the board.
The Union and Opal hammered out a deal last Friday morning that ensured wage increases for all workers and the retention of key terms and conditions.
“We are happy that our members will be returning to work with an agreement that sees real wage growth; the retention of their existing terms and conditions and no one left behind,” Pulp & Paper Workers Secretary, Denise Campbell-Burns said.
“Our question is why did it take a 30-day lockout of the entire workforce; the stand down of hundreds of contractors; and forcing Latrobe Valley families to spend the last 30 days living with real concerns about how to feed their families and pay their bills for Opal to bring a decent offer to the table?
“The disrespect that Opal senior management and Nippon Paper have shown their workforce has been staggering since the commencement of negotiations in October 2024, but the arrogance and disregard over the past 30 days has beggared belief.
“Our members are focused on getting back to work and looking forward to the upcoming CFMEU demerger vote in a few weeks.”
Opal later shared: “Opal is pleased to welcome our valued production team members back to work from Sunday, February 16, 2025, after reaching an in principle agreement with them and the CFMEU today (February 15) for a new Enterprise Agreement at the Maryvale Mill.
“Opal negotiated in good faith for an Enterprise Agreement that is fair and appropriate to the Mill’s current operations, which were forced to change significantly due to the sudden end of food supply from Victorian government owned VicForests.
“Opal is focussed on the future of the Mill, which remains an important asset for our growth as a major manufacturer of quality cardboard packaging products in a competitive market.”
