Around 20 quarry workers and concrete truck drivers who began striking at the start of the month near the Brynderwyn Hills have today reached a settlement with Atlas Quarry that gives the group between $2 and $4 dollars more an hour.

Pay talks broke down on Tuesday 24th of July 2018 after 10 months of negotiations when Atlas Quarries Limited refused to move from their flat rate offer which was below market rate by $2-$3 dollars and below the Living Wage. Hours of work were also an issue, with some workers required to be available for up to 88 hours a week.

The new deal includes:

All members will receive a minimum of $22 per hour, overtime rates for weekend work, meal and attendance allowances on top of this, life insurance cover and agreed hours of work.

FIRST Union Transport, Logistics and Manufacturing Division Secretary Jared Abbott says the deal is what workers were asking for at the start of negotiations.

“It’s an extra $80 to $300 a week depending on the hours worked, it’s a big win that these workers worked hard to get, our members are very happy and we thank Atlas for recognising their value.”

Lorne Tito has been part of the strike since the beginning.

“We were planning for it to take longer, so we are very relieved, the financial pressure has eased for these guys.”

Mr Tito says worker moral is high.

“We stuck together and were in it for the long haul, it just goes to show; if your company isn’t treating you fairly and doesn’t value you, band together and say so.”

He sends out a huge thank you to the local community, a community that showed overwhelming support during the strike.

“They turned up with all sorts of supplies to keep us going, the support was humbling and we are very grateful for this also.”

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