27.05.2025

Crane operators strike

In Australia the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CMFEU) has started a series of strikes of crane related staff, including operators, at the Golden Plains wind farm project in Victoria, following a failure to agree terms with the Danish crane supplier BMS.

The union started with four hour stoppages each days from last Thursday and plans to go to six hours a day this week, and then eight hour stoppages unless it can agree terms with BMS which has contract for the supply of cranes from the site’s developer Vestas. It should be said that not all BMS crane people have joined the strike, in spite of pickets.

The union says that is has been negotiating with BMS since December looking to adopt its ‘mobile crane award’, which requires minimum hourly rates ranging from A$27 to A$33 depending on experience along with other ‘allowances’ for travel and work wear etc..
The flyer below has been distributed fairly widely by the union. BMS has been approached for a comment.

The $4 billion 1,330 MW Golden Plains project is 85 percent owned by TagEnergy, with Ingka holding the remaining 15 percent. When complete it will be the biggest wind farm in the country.