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Issue No. 303 | 21 April 2006 |
Brand Spanking
Interview: Head On Unions: Do You Have a Moment? Industrial: Vital Signs Economics: Taxing Times Environment: It Ain�t Necessarily So History: Melbourne�s Hours Immigration: Opening the Floodgates Review: Pollie Fiction Poetry: The Cabal
Control Freak Turns Hand to AWAs �Clean Start� Sweeps Into Action Fleas Leave Andrews Scratching The $130 Question: What is He On? Apprentices Assume Missionary Position Rights At Work Worth Playing For
Politics Politics The Soapbox Postcard The Locker Room Obituary
Lying Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them II What Tax Cuts? Belly Says It�s Time A Word Of Warning Stop Mexican Revolution Well That Clears That Up Then
Labor Council of NSW |
Industrial Control Freak Turns Hand to AWAs
Finlay Engineering owner, Jim Sutton, punted the company's union delegate for defending the �smirker�, and put sub-standard AWAs to the rest of the workforce, the following day. Sutton's non-negotiated employment contracts, green lighted by the federal government to supersede awards and collective agreements, contain 126 words on a single sheet of paper, 40 of them handwritten. They propose cutting the base rate of pay for process workers at the plant in Waterdale Rd, West Heidelberg, and make no mention of overtime or other allowances. AMWU state secretary, Dave Oliver, said the Sutton proposal would leave process workers at least $1.50 an hour below the going rate. Oliver confirmed the AMWU would pursue unlawful discrimination claims against the company. He said the sacking of two union activists was "undoubtedly" linked to the following day's production of hastily drawn-up AWAs. Around 40 Melbourne workers turned up outside the company gates, last Friday, for a solidarity breakfast with the sacked workers and those facing earnings cuts. Sutton told ABC radio, last week, that John Howard's new industrial laws had made it easier to "control the workforce". "Up until these new industrial laws, it was very hard to take any action against anyone," he said. He denied he had sacked anyone for smirking but did concede he had taken exception to the "facial expression" of a worker, after a meeting at which he had proposed wage reductions. "What I said was the government have now given us a much better chance of controlling our workforce, and if you people are not prepared to make the production rates that we require then your services won't be required," Sutton said.
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