Blockading workers defy injunction

About 400 workers continued their blockade of Viva Energy’s Geelong refinery today (Friday) despite the company obtaining an injunction.
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) and Australian Workers Union (AWU) supported the blockade, which started on Wednesday morning due to safety concerns.
Refinery general manager Thys Heyns described the blockade as illegal and “related to terms and conditions” not safety.
“Reporting safety incidents is encouraged at the refinery and a demonstration of a robust safety culture.”
Mr Heyns said action was delaying a major maintenance project ensuring the refinery could operate in the future and “support hundreds of manufacturing jobs in Geelong”.
“You can’t run a successful business without being a safe business so it just doesn’t add up that we would jeopardise this important outcome,” he said.
However AWU Victorian secretary Ben Davis said Viva had failed to engage “genuinely” with the workforce and the unions about safety concerns.
“Hopefully that attitude will change,” he said.
“Courts don’t fix disputes, workplace negotiations fix disputes.”
Mr Davis said the unions would seek legal advice over continuing the blockade and would discuss it with the employees onsite.
A Viva spokesperson confirmed at noon today, Friday 7 October, that the “unlawful blockade“ was continuing despite court orders being served yesterday.