Flinders federal Liberal MP Greg Hunt has refused to buy into BlueScope’s industrial dispute, which has seen scab labour fill the jobs of striking workers.
With only one more week to go before polling day there is little sign of an agreement being brokered between the 86 boilermakers and fitters and plant management.
The employees, who are contracted to BlueScope Steel Western Port, walked off the job almost two weeks ago.
They had been negotiating a new enterprise bargaining agreement with Silcar since February but began strike action on August 5, when negotiations reached a stalemate.
In an email to employees, BlueScope said it had employed a mechanical breakdown crew to maintain the Long Island plant.
Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union state organiser Greg Warren said his members were angry Bluescope had brought in replacement workers.
"If BlueScope continues to smuggle in these scab workers the tension and situation will only escalate," he said.
"One of our issues is the wording of our EBA, which keeps protecting the employer under the old WorkChoices regime."
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