On 19 June 2007, Paper Australia Pty Ltd applied for an order under s.496 of the Workplace Relations Act 1996 to stop industrial action that was being taken by electrical trades employees engaged by various contractors at the company’s paper mill at Maryvale in Morwell.
The company is in the process of conducting a large-scale maintenance shutdown together with a construction project that will expand the mill’s capacity. The electrical employees did not resume work after attending a meeting on the morning of 19 June which was addressed by officials of the CEPU and had been called to discuss rates of pay. The CEPU said that the workers will resume work on 21 June.
SDP Watson was satisfied that industrial action was occurring and made an order with effect from 7.00am Wednesday 20 June that no industrial action occurs. The order was to be served on employees by telephone or text message. It remains in force until 27 June 2007.