Yellowknife (Mar 29/06) - There is new hope a strike at the Ekati diamond mine will be averted after the unions pushed their strike deadline back to April 7.

This will allow the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Union of Northern Workers time for a two-day bargaining session with mine owner BHP Billiton.

The unions had planned to have their 400 members walk off the job today, but will now join BHP in trying to hammer out a tentative agreement in Edmonton, April 5-6.

“We will take what ever efforts we can to avoid a strike,” said Todd Parsons, president of the Union of Northern Workers.

“It’s a last resort but it is a pressure tactic used to dissolve labour disputes.”

BHP Billiton external affairs officer, Deana Twissell said the company is willing to work towards reaching an agreement with the union.

“BHP continues to support those who have acted professionally and respectfully during this difficult period of time,” she said.

At a rally held by the two unions Monday, Parsons read a letter of support from Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington.

In it he urged the company and the workers’ representatives “to return to the negotiating table to come up with a fair deal for our Northern workers.”

He also made his position clear on the use of replacement workers.

“We are very concerned about the use of replacement workers in any job actions,” Bevington wrote. “The NDP has supported anti-scab legislation in the previous parliament and will continue to do so.”

Twissell refused to comment on whether BHP would use replacement workers to keep the diamonds flowing in the event of a strike.

BHP Billiton must be ready to negotiate on issues like wage equity and job security, said Nycole Turmel, the national president of PSAC.

She was in Yellowknife to meet with Northern labour leaders.

“BHP better be ready to present something because we will go on strike,” she said.

Turmel admitted that it would be challenge to organize a strike in an isolated area, but added the unions do have contingency plans if a strike occurs.