Maryborough Downer staff to strike

WORKERS at Downer EDI's Maryborough factory will walk off the job today in union-led strike action.

This is despite work currently being carried out on the troubled New Generation Rollingstock trains - the contracts for which were hard-fought.

The Chronicle understands industrial action will take place at the factory from 10.30am today and run for least four hours with potential further industrial action pending the outcome.

While the unions behind the action - the AMWU, ETU and CMFEU - are yet to comment, the Chronicle understands it is in relation to an ongoing pay dispute.

In NSW, unions have been locked in a battle with Downer over pay conditions at its Hunter and Illawarra sites.

About 430 workers from the NSW sites walked off the job two months ago over pay disputes

Last year, Downer recorded jump in after-tax profit of more than $78 million.

Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders fought alongside workers and the same unions demanding more contracts for the Heritage City's rail depot in 2016.

It's unclear whether he will be at today's rally.

The strike comes less than a year after the State Government announced the NGR trains, which had issues with braking, air-conditioning and disability access after they were shipped from India, would be repaired at the Maryborough factory.

A Downer spokeswoman told the Chronicle she was confident the strike would not affect the work schedule.