When I was working for the Builders Labourers Federation back in the mid 1980’s, part of my responsibility was to research deaths and injuries in the Australian construction industry. Continue reading Attack on union rights results in rising death toll
Nearly 100 workers at the McCormick Foods factory in the Melbourne suburb of Clayton have been on strike since 26 February. The reason? Management had imposed a five-year freeze on wages and now plans to slash penalty rates and conditions.
These workers are members of the United Workers Union (UWU), which is behind them in the industrial action they are taking.
The company had refused to negotiate a new agreement since the previous one expired in 2016. Now, it is trying to entrench zero wage increases, cuts to overtime penalty payment rates, and take away paid meal breaks.
On top of this, they want to impose a cap of 20 years on redundancy payments, in a workplace where many have been there longer than this. Increasing automation over the last decade has already seen jobs go.
McCormick Foods Australia is part of a US-based Fortune 1,000 corporation, and one of the largest producers of herbs and spices in the world, with an annual revenue of more than $4 billion.
The Clayton plant produces for McDonald’s, KFC, Hungry Jacks and Nandos. It also supplies supermarket chains.
The workers are calling to be treated with some respect.
A big part of the strategy is to build public support.
This dispute is important. Another major employer has set out to destroy decent jobs and take advantage of a labour market. If these moves are not rebuffed, all jobs in Australia are threatened. This would bring serious social and economic damage.
The wellbeing of all is far more important than amassing the fortunes of individual corporations. In any case, companies like McCormick Foods are still amassing huge profits and can easily absorb the cost of treating their workers properly.
There is still an online petition and supporters of the McCormick workers can sign it by going to this link.
As the Morrison government proceeds with its so-called Omnibus Bill, it amounts to a declaration of war against the Australian union movement and all workers. Behind all the spin and the pretence that this is about undoing the damage of Covid-19, this is a blatant move to destroy existing jobs. The key planks are to casualise a bigger part of the workforce, cut pay, and introduce individual contracts through the back door. Continue reading Morrison’s anti-worker law must be fought in a serious way
By Joe Montero
One certainty for this year and beyond, is that most Australians will face challenges beyond anything we’ve seen for some time. Continue reading Morrison government needs organised action to be defeated
Scott Morrison has banded together with the most extreme corporate executives and big business lobbyists to draft new workplace laws that would remove job security and cut wages for millions of workers. The Australian council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has begun an advertising campaign to inform the public on what is going on.
Workers at Peters Ice Cream production facility in South East Melbourne begun industrial action last Friday, by starting an indefinite overtime ban. The company is trying to slash wages for casual workers Continue reading Peters Ice Cream workers battle $9 an hour pay cut
Scott Morrison has made it clear. His government is about to move on with changing the industrial relations system. It is already heavily weighted against workers and restricts union representation, through limitation of allowable matters, red tape, and denying the right of union organisers to enter the workplace. Morrison and his government want to go much further than this. Continue reading Morrison ramps up exploitation of workers
Workers at the Lactalis dairy processing factory in Bendigo walked out on an indefinite strike last Thursday, over wagers and jobs guarantee issues. There is concern that management is trying to use the pandemic to close the factory. Continue reading Bendigo dairy workers on strike for secure work and pay
Pressure from leading employer groups for industrial relations changes, which will lead to the casualisation of more work and lower wages across the board, is building. This is the outcome of talks between the government, employer groups and unions. Continue reading Employer groups want cut in working conditions and wages
The Transport (TWU) is furious about more of workers at Qantas facing the sack. The company is continuing with its plan to outsource a significant part of its workforce, despite being a beneficiary of the government’s JobKeeper program. Continue reading Qantas moves to use labour hire and casualise workforce
