|
Issue No. 279 | 02 September 2005 |
Middle Australia
Interview: Polar Eclipse Industrial: Wrong Turn Unions: Star Support Workplace: Checked Out Economics: Sold Out Politics: Green Banned History: Potted History International: Curtain Call Review: Little Fish Poetry: Slug A Worker
Boom! Biff! It�s Howard Unplugged High Court: Ads Do Kremlin Proud Tesltra Cuts Get Poor Reception Check Work/Family Balance Here Tim Wins For Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA
The Soapbox The Locker Room Parliament Postcard
Labor Council of NSW |
News Fun Guy Spreads Fertiliser
Mushroom mum Carmen Walacz Vel Walewska and Imperial Mushrooms boss, Kevin Tolson, are before the industrial umpire as it emerged the lengths to which he will go to bury the issue.
Walacz Vel Walewska has been warmly received in her local community, with hugs from co-workers coming up to her in the street to thank her for taking her stand. Carmen came to national prominence when she bucked up after being sacked for questioning why her AWA was leaving her worse off than she would be under her award. "The message here is that bosses should not treat their workers as if they don't know their rights," says Walacz Vel Walewska. "We've all got our own minds." Walacz Vel Walewska said she was looking forward to the benefits everyone at Imperial Mushrooms would be getting. She also said her co-workers should keep fighting for proper hourly rates and all their entitlements. Paul Farrow from the Australian Workers Union (AWU) alleges that Tolson told him that a payment of at least $1,000 to workers at the mushroom factory was a "gift". Farrow revealed that when Imperial mushrooms had been approached to provide wages records the company provided payslips that provided no breakdown of hours per day or overtime. "People were working from 5 to 50 hours a week,' says Farrow of the incomplete information they were able to glean from the pay packets. "We're going to give them one last chance to do the right thing with the wages records," Farrow also said that the AWU would be pursuing other firms in the mushroom industry to ensure they were doing the right thing. A conciliation before Deputy President Grayson in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission will continue on Wednesday.
|
Search All Issues | Latest Issue | Previous Issues | Print Latest Issue |
© 1999-2002 Workers Online |
|