Early last week there were genuine concerns from union officials and workers that the actions of BlueScope management would lead to a vote against the enterprise agreement.

South Coast Labour Council Secretary Arthur Rorris said last week there was “disquiet and antagonism” on the shop floor.

The BlueScope board’s decision to keep Port Kembla open was contingent on the enterprise agreement being approved.

If the workers voted it down during a secret ballot vote on Monday and Tuesday, then the gates would close.

Australian Workers Union (AWU) Port Kembla secretary Wayne Phillip sat down with BlueScope management on Wednesday to try and end the impasse.

“Wayne had a meeting with the HR boss on Wednesday in Sydney and he came away quite happy with the result of it,” said BlueScope employee and AWU delegate Lance Turner.

“It was very positive and we recommended that everyone voted yes to the ballot.

“It was pretty concerning how it was looking but that meeting seems to have changed things around. So we’re very hopeful of a positive outcome by Tuesday night.”

Mr Turner said the major issues of concern had been resolved and the union and BlueScope were going into mediation this Friday to sort out a few minor issues.

“The major issues regarding use of casual labor and short-term contracts, those types of issues have been resolved, which are really, really important to us,” he said.

“The company has agreed to stop doing it. For us that was a deadset line in the sand. Everyone that I’m aware of said, ‘no, that’s something that I won’t countenance’.”

Workers have been casting their vote in the secret ballot, held by KPMG, since Monday morning.

Voting will continue through to Tuesday night with the counting to start after that.

A result is due by late on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

At a mass meeting at the Fraternity Club in early October, BlueScope workers had voted to accept the changes to their enterprise agreement.

That was an in-principle vote, a formal vote still needed to take place in accordance with industrial law requirements.