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  Issue No 89 Official Organ of LaborNet 23 March 2001  

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News

Engineers Win BHP Redundancy Case

By Catherine Bolger

APESMA has been successful in its bid to stop the multinational, Hatch from unilaterally slashing ex BHP employees redundancy entitlements.

At a hearing on 19 March, Deputy President Grayson of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission directed that Hatch P/L forthwith retract and/or suspend the operation of altered redundancy policy and that Hatch P/L consistent with industrial relations best practice restore the status quo for employees or ex-employees of BHP Engineering P/L.

Further Deputy President Grayson ordered that Hatch, APESMA and AMWU as quickly as is practicable enter into active negotiations in an attempt to find means of resolving differences which give rise to this industrial dispute and report back to the Commission on 29 March 2001.

APESMA Senior Industrial Officer, Catherine Bolger, said today "APESMA welcomes the decision of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission to direct Hatch to retract the unilateral changes it had made to ex-BHP employees redundancy entitlements. The changes Hatch attempted to impose on employees would have resulted in a loss of a minimum of 14.5 weeks pay to over 30 weeks pay if an ex BHP employee was made redundant."

"For an employee facing a tight labour market and increasing levels of unemployment a loss of 30 weeks pay has a significant affect on their family's ability to cope with redundancy" she added.

Ms Bolger said "Hatch has a moral and legal obligation to honour the commitments it made to staff during the sale process to continue the BHP redundancy policy."

Hatch senior management advised employees that the slashing of the Redundancy Policy had been endorsed by the President of BHP Steel, Mr Kirby Adams. The ACTU has called on

BHP to provide urgent clarification of BHP's position regarding the proposed change to Hatch employees redundancy entitlements.

"APESMA and the ACTU have called on BHP to ensure that commitments given to employees and their unions during the outsourcing or sale of BHP operations will be honoured." Ms Bolger added.


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*   View entire issue - print all of the articles!

*   Issue 89 contents

In this issue
Features
*  Interview: Paddy Takes the Helm
Irish, internationalist, republican, socialist & seafarer - Paddy Crumlin intends taking the old traditions of the labour left into the 21st century, the community and cyberspace.
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*  Unions: Breaking the Mould
Mark Hearn looks at how women union delegates are helping to change the culture in the traditionally male bastion of glassworking.
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*  Legal: Washing Their Hands
Mark Morey outlines how Liberal neglect of the working visa system has led to exploitation of guest workers.
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*  International: Violence Betrays Shangri-La
Shangri-La hotel union members carrying a coffin marked Robert Kuok have been assaulted and beaten by police in Jakarta.
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*  Economics: Corporations: Different Than You and Me
Corporations are fundamentally different than you and me. That's a simple truth that Big Business leaders desperately hope the public will not perceive.
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*  History: The Steel Octopus
Be prepared for a flood of Nostalgia from the media about the �Big Australian�, as it prepares to flee our shores and finally internationalise its digging operations. Workers won�t forget BHP�s less than worker friendly past and present (and no doubt it�s future).
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*  Review: Mean Nation
John Allen charts the fall and fall of philanthropy in Australian society.
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*  Satire: Ryan 'A Big Wake-Up Call For Me': Beazley
The narrow victory to Labor in the Ryan by-election has delivered a big slap in the face to Leader of the Opposition Kim Beazley.
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News
»  Abbott and �Drinking Buddy� Under Microscope
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»  Working Visas: Ruddock Sells Dump to Abbott
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»  Tourist Guides Bussed In
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»  Fair Wear Holds Breath as Carr Celebrates
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»  Labor to Restore Public Sector�s Dignity
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»  Its Time for Carr to Act on Safey on Building Sites
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»  Bread Maker Slices Workforce
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»  Workers Show Grace Under Pressure
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»  Engineers Win BHP Redundancy Case
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»  Transport Drug Pushers Not Charged
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»  Training Body Needs $150 Million to Cope with Growth
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»  HIH Urged To Safeguard Employee Entitlements
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»  Carr Proposal For Public Schools Flawed
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»  Human Smirk Returns to Spiritual Home
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»  McGauchie Appointment Draws MUA Fire
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»  Bove Loses McDonald's Raid Appeal
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»  James Hardie Called to Account
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»  Australasian Union Organising Conference
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»  Activist Notebook
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Columns
»  The Soapbox
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»  The Locker Room
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»  Trades Hall
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»  Tool Shed
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Letters to the editor
»  AXA Has Form
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»  Leichhardt Debate Hots Up
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