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Issue No. 265 | 27 May 2005 |
Hit and Myth
Interview: Fortress NSW Unions: Fashions Afield Industrial: Pay Dirt Politics: Infrastructure Blues History: Big Day Out International: Making History Economics: The Fear Factor Review: The Robots Revolt Poetry: The Corporation's Power
Victims Champ Joins Resistance Usual Suspects Lead Cheer Squad TAFE Teaches A Lesson On Winning
The Soapbox The Locker Room Parliament
One Hell Of A Job US Fan Mail
Labor Council of NSW |
News Sign or You're Gone
Storeman Daniel Pestano is not happy about the prospect of his workmates at Appaloosa Holdings, Banksmeadow, becoming the first victims of John Howard�s latest IR experiment.
In a vision of the Prime Minister's workplace of the future, they were outsourced without warning to labour hire firm, E.L. Blue, who offered them their existing jobs conditional on "agreeing to the terms of employment contained in the Australian Workplace Agreement". "We're not happy about it," Pestano said. "There was no choice. They offered the contract as take it or leave it." The NUW's Derek Belan said more people would be "chewed up and spat out" by companies or agencies "offering a pittance" if Howard got his way on workplace deregulation. "The 'sign here or you're sacked' employment offer would become the norm," he warned. Appaloosa Holdings employed 18 people, aged 16-25, working under a State Award. Fourteen have signed a petition saying that they don't want to be put on an AWA. The AWA they have been offered strips their conditions, putting them on a seven-day roster where they can be employed anywhere and at anytime with minimal notice. They lose guaranteed weekly hours. "Well if these kids don't sign, they're gone," E. L. Blue senior operations manager, Victoria Keeys, told the NUW. "The way that Appaloosa Holdings have treated their employees is appalling," says Mark Ptolemy from the NUW. "These young workers have been fed to an aggressive and greedy labour hire agency, with an offer much less then what they had. "They have been given an ultimatum that they either sign their individual contracts or hit the road." Entrenching AWAs is a key part of the Howard Governments workplace law reforms announced this week. Under the new rules workers rights to not be disadvantaged by the introduction of AWAs would be dumped, with the test being set against the proposed Fair Pay Commission and conditions set by the government.
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