At the old Newcastle Steelworks in its day, there were many titanic battles between labour and management, but it's hoped that thanks to the deal stitched up between the New South Wales Labour Council, the Labor Government and the new company proposing this consortium, the new Austeel project would enjoy an extended period of industrial harmony. The head of the New South Wales Labour Council, Michael Costa, has been telling Alison Caldwell the unwritten deal is similar to the one forged between unions and the State Government prior to the Olympics. They've given a commitment to the company but we'll sit down and negotiate a set of arrangements similar to the Olympics. We'll deliver on time and on budget the construction phase and also the operation of that particular steel mill.
Australian unions have a reputation overseas.
What was the atmosphere like when you first met with the Austeel representatives. We have sat down and talked through the issues of Australian industrial relations. There are some foreign consortium supporting the project and clearly there was a need for them to comprehend that despite the reputation Australian unions were unions that could work with management to ensure a successful commercial outcome provided that conditions were negotiated well in advance, people understood and there were appropriate dispute resolution processes put in place, it was our view that all these projects could be achieved. You've got to remember this follows the success of the Olympics where we showed that a unionised work force was the best possible work force for a major project. No, there will be no individual contracts.