
Issue No 92		20 April 2001

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News

Outraged Cleaners Continue AXA Axings Protests

The image of AXA Australia as a worker friendly organisation, with close links to the leaderships of Australia's union movement, is taking a battering as their unionised cleaning staff have now been locked out of AXA's Melbourne head office for nearly three weeks.

The LHMU cleaners are particularly disturbed that their superannuation fund, the $3 billion Australian Retirement Fund, is a partner in a joint venture with AXA to set up a workers' bank - Members Equity. " AXA is earning millions of dollars off the backs of working people's super funds but they want to get rid of nine LHMU cleaners and save $200,000 in cleaning costs," Vaska Dervisovski, the LHMU Cleaners Union organiser said today. " The bean counters should revisit this decision."

LHMU Cleaners Union members have been out the front of the AXA head office, 447 Collins St, Melbourne, most of this week holding a protest BBQ, telling office workers and passers-by about the company's decision to shut out cleaners and cut the numbers of cleaning staff. Second time this year that AXA has a big blue with LHMU

This is the second time this year that AXA Australia has been embroiled in an industrial dispute with the LHMU. The property arm of AXA last year sold the upmarket Sydney Wentworth Hotel and, as part of the sale price, agreed to sack twenty LHMU members. In February, after vigorous protest and community outrage that workers jobs should be sold as a condition of the $108 million Wentworth Hotel sale, AXA backed down. " We believe union members will also be outraged by this latest AXA action and we expect that the company will see the error of its ways and back down again," Vaska Dervisovski said today. Tell AXA what you think " We are appealing to union members, activists and supporters to click here and fill out the feedback form to send a message to AXA . " Tell them that if they want to use union members' money through the superannuation funds then they should have a better attitude to the employment of union workers." Read a few suggested lines for your AXA Feedback letter below

If you do send a message to AXA can you please cc it to the Melbourne LHMU cleaners by mailto:[email protected] " AXA is a major owner and operator of commercial properties throughout Australia where LHMU members are employed. " We think the company should adopt a code of practice which is friendly to all our members." AXA fully owns about 300,000 square metres of key commercial properties throughout Australia. AXA Australia is part of the big French multinational finance group. Already AXA union members in France have been approached to discuss appropriate international solidarity support. Suggested lines for AXA Feedback

Tell Axa which union you belong to Tell Axa which superfund you use Tell Axa if you are Super Members Home Loan member Tell Axa in your own words why you think that if a company makes megabucks out of union workers money they should think twice about sacking nine staff at their head office Ask Axa to sign a national agreement for all their properties which will guarantee appropriate working hours and a union-friendly environment for their cleaning staff

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  Issue 92 contents

Interview: Beyond the Accord
Simon Crean cut his teeth in the trade union movement, now he's gearing up to run the economy.

Politics: In Defence of Dellaďż˝s List
The proposition that trade unions should ask members of the ALP for a commitment that they uphold Party policy should hardly be controversial.

Corporate: The Real Rorters
The unspoken sore of the WorkCover Scheme is non-compliance by employers. None more so that in the construction industry, as this CFMEU paper details.

Legal: In the Real World
Lawyer Ross Goodridge exposes the defficincies in the new medical assessment guidelines for workers compensation by looking at real case studies.

International: The Docklands and Global Labour
Ma Wei Pin and Jasper Goss recount how the struggle of a group of Indonesian hotel workers effected a lucrative Melbourne contract.

History: Sweatshops in America
Since the dawning of the Industrial Revolution, many generations of Americans have toiled in sweatshops.

Unions: Losers Never Start
At the end of her six week vigil, Grenadier delegate Michelle Booth gave her heartfelt thanks to the trade union movement.

Review: Working Classes: Global Realities
The Socialist Register 2001 looks at class realities and the lives of workers in the new century.

Satire: Democrats Change Leader
The Democrats have a new leader after belatedly discovering that Meg Lees had become the second Democrats leader in a row to defect to another party.

» Costa To Join Dellaďż˝s List

» Compo Campaign Gathers Steam

» Dellaďż˝s List: Dissident MPs Targeted

» Day of Mourning to be Compo Focus

» Small Steps in Negotiations ďż˝ But Hard Yards Still to Come

» Important First Step for E-Mail Privacy

» Outraged Cleaners Continue AXA Axings Protests

» Grenadier Picket Ends ďż˝ But Legacy Lives On

» Entitlement Dramas in Health and Printing

» Nurses Still Waiting on Olympics Bonus

» IRC Delays Hit Eight Month Barrier

» Claims of Dirty Tricks Conspiracy at Mobil

» Sydney Water Workers On Strike

» MUA Rides Anti-pollution Wave

» Governments Urged On Child Slavery

» Time To Act on Pay Discrimination

» Construction Union Supports Folk Festival

» Activists Notebook