BlueScope steelworkers 'very, very cranky' over delays in pay deal

After around a year of negotiations, at the beginning of March, the steelworkers voted to accept the company's deal in principle.

Now there is tension on the floor over the time it is taking to draft the official agreement.

One steelworker said the ongoing delays were putting the agreement at risk.

"The mood on the floor is getting very, very cranky," the steelworker said.

"The longer it goes before we have the vote, there's every chance the boys will knock it on the bloody head.

"The feeling on the floor is that they're [BlueScope] just taking the piss."

Australian Workers Union NSW Senior Vice President Paul Farrow said he was aware of frustrations over the delays but did not think it would see the deal being voted down.

"If people are making that noise, then I'm certainly not hearing that," Mr Farrow said.

He did say the steelworkers were keen to sign off on the deal because of BlueScope's offer to start paying the new rates from the date the agreement was formally voted up.

READ MORE: Driver had "toxic" level of heroin in his system

Previously the pay increases would not kick in until the Fair Work Commission officially approved the deal, which could be weeks or months after the formal vote.

"I know there some noise from people around getting this done sooner rather than later because every week is another week they miss out on that increase,"  he said.

It was taking longer than expected because the deal unites the Port Kembla steelworkers and those at the Springhill plant under a single agreement.

Previously the two workplaces were covered by separate deals.

Mr Farrow said the drafting of the agreement was "90 per cent" complete and the earliest workers could have a copy was next week.

Once the drafting was finished, legislation requires the workers to have a copy for seven days before a formal vote can take place.

"The drafting is the vital point," he said.

"We're not going to rush through the document when BlueScope are proposing a myriad of changes.

"We're not going to rush through and find out we've signed up to something that has things that have been missed out or advertantly inserted that we were not aware of."