Maintenance workers have walked off the job until further notice in a major escalation of a long-running pay dispute at Saputo Dairy Australia's Burnie cheese factory in northern Tasmania.
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The Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union is urging the dairy giant not to get contractors in to replace them.
"We would hope that contractor companies do not undermine the maintenance team by responding to calls from Saputo to assist," AMWU official Mike Wickham said.
He said that would undermine the workers and do nothing for the reputation of companies that "may wish to take advantage of the industrial action by employees who are only seeking parity with their mainland colleagues".
Comment was being sought from Saputo at the time of writing.
It previously said it was "committed to continuing negotiations in good faith to reach an agreement for our valued maintenance workers at our Burnie manufacturing site".
The maintenance workers walked off at 2am on June 7.
They are all understood to be unionised.
The dispute has been running for months.
The AMWU claims maintenance workers at other Saputo sites on the mainland are paid 21 per cent more than their counterparts in Burnie.
Sean Ford
The Advocate Newspaper, Tasmania. Business, economics, politics, crime.
The Advocate Newspaper, Tasmania. Business, economics, politics, crime.
