The long-running stalemate was nowhere near resolution as the company pinned its hopes on a greater level of grass roots support for its EA offering but instead could only get a 17% acceptance.

It was up from an earlier poll that received only 7.8% approval.

Last month, Fair Work Australia ruled in favour of holding another postal ballot on a new EA.

BMA president Steve Dumble said he was disappointed by the result.

"Guaranteed 5 per cent increases across each of three years for wage levels that are already twice the national average will be difficult to continue to maintain given prices for our products have fallen by 30 per cent in the period between the two ballots," Dumble said.

"BMA recognises that we have more work to do with employees.

"We will return to the bargaining table as quickly as possible to further explore how we might find acceptable solutions to the key issues."

The Construction, Forestry, Miners and Energy Union and other unions in the dispute are mobilised and ready to raise the intensity of the industrial campaign against BMA with a week-long strike after being deadlocked for more than 18 months over the EAs.