Workers at Saputo’s Burnie cheese plant have walked off the job, with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) claiming maintenance workers at the site are paid 21% less than their mainland counterparts. The AMWU puts the gap between Tasmanian and mainland production workers at 40%.

AMWU state organiser Mike Wickham said the Burnie workers were more skilled and the site was more technical than mainland counterparts, but the workers just wanted to be paid like their mainland colleagues. In response Saputo has said: “Saputo Dairy Australia is committed to continuing negotiations in good faith to reach an agreement for our valued maintenance workers at our Burnie manufacturing site.”