The Albanese government is working to bring in a change to the Fair Work Act. It is going to be amended to allow bargaining across multiple workplaces. Or is it? Continue reading Industrial relations change will fail to answer rising cost of living
Contributed Country Road is a well-known clothing chain in Australia, which likes to market itself as an ethical business. The local parent company has a highly visible retail profile. In addition to the Country Road stores, it owns Witchery, Mimco, Politix and Trenery. The owner of all is the South African multinational Woolworths Holding Limited (WHL). Continue reading Country Road workers take industrial action for equal and decent pay
The dust is settling on last week’s events in Melbourne, where ultra-right led mobs attacked a union office and then began a few days on a violent rampage. Most of Australia justifiably condemned them. There are a couple of buts though. Continue reading Escalating police violence was a real issue in Melbourne two weeks ago
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has dropped charge related to allegations against the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU). the charges relate to prosecution of the union’s Canberra branch, Jason O’Mara. Continue reading Politically driven vendetta against construction union scores another failure for the government
Last Friday, the Port of Melbourne was shut down by determined members of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA). They did this to send a message to tugboat operator Svitzer. The dispute is over negotiations for a new workplace agreement have stalled for 18 months, causing growing uncertainty. Continue reading The new battle on Melbourne waterfront to defend rights at work
On 4 July American celebrated their 4 July. This I s their day of independence, marking victory over Britain and the end of being a colony. The American revolution was important. It inspired the word, stood for freedom from tyranny and the right of a people to choose their own future. This is worth celebrating. Continue reading Revealed documents show the bad side of Bob Hawke
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
