The dozen workers at Koroit will join about 100 others at five other Murray Goulburn plants in Victoria in a 24-hour protected action strike today in a bid to restart negotiations over their new enterprise bargaining agreement.

Electrical Trades Union organiser Peter Mooney said Murray Goulburn was refusing to continue negotiations on outstanding claims about employing more apprentices and reducing future entitlements to below industry standards for skilled trades workers. 

He said workers were “prepared to lose a day’s pay ... to support future apprentices and consistent standards for trade occupations in the future”.