
Issue No 95		11 May 2001

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Knitwear Company Stitched Up Over AWAs

A company who worked with the Employment Advocate to frame individual contracts for its workforce faces penalties and back-pay in excess of $100,000.

South Coast knitwear manufacture Tooralie faced the first round of legal action this week in the Chief Industrial Magistrate's Court, when it was ordered to pay $27,000 in claims and fines arising from union prosecution for two of its workers.

They are amongst 10 workers who have launched legal action for underpayment of the award and unpaid entitlements, after Tooralie moved its premises from Bombala to Canberra.

The union argued in separate proceedings in the Australian Industrial relations commission that the termination of the Bombala workers was prompted by the decision of the Bombala workers to refuse to sign the Australian Workplace Agreement proposed by the employer, which was drafted by the Employment Advocate.

The AWA abolished public holidays and annual leave and rolled these into a flat rate and allowed the employer to unilaterally stand down employees and vary hours. Prior to the AWA, the company had been paying below-award wages, had been reneging on superannuation payments and was even failing to pass on employees' own superannuation contributions.

It is these underpayments, that has been the focus of the current action before the Industrial Magistrate. With 60 charges still pending the TCFUA estimates the final bill will pass the six-figure threshold.

Meanwhile, Tooralie's new non-union Canberra workforce is facing similar underpayment of superannuation, despite complaints to the federal Department of Industrial Relations. Two of the workers have made complaints to the Tax Office.

TCFUA state secretary Barry Tubner says the lesson from Tooralie is simple: "If you want to pay above the award, it's easy under a collective agreement. If you want to rip workers off its easy too - you offer them an AWA."

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Issue 95 contents

Interview: Geek Guys
Two of the union movement�s pioneers in new technology, Peter Ross and Mark McGrath, chew the fat about wired unionism and virtual politics.

Compo: Costa�s Angels
Behind the spotlight of the workers comp campaign four women trade union officials have been burning the midnight oil to protect injured workers.

Legal: View from the Bench
Compensation Court judge and former Attorney-General, Frank Walker, argues the Della Bosca workers comp reforms are a threat to judicial independence.

International: Timor: Time for the Truth
HT Lee was in Dili when the militas ran rampage. Now he wants the truth to come out.

History: True Believers
Frank Bongiorno looks at the origins of the Australian Labor Party, which celebrated its centenary of Caucus this week.

Corporate: Trust Me, I�m a Multi-National!
BHP unions have united across the factions to urge �No� vote on the planned Billiton merger.

Unions: AWAs � A Doomed Future?
ACTU Assistant Secretary Richard Marles plays clairvoyant and predicts a dismal future for AWAs.

Satire: Bush Defends One China Policy - Then Another China Policy, Then Another ....
President Bush today announced a major change to the United States� policy of �strategic ambiguity� towards the status of Taiwan and its One China policy.

Review: Surviving Survivor
Workers Online's Reality TV correspondent Mark Morey rakes over the coals of the Survivor II result.

» Carr Government Avoids Own Safety Laws

» Phantom Employers Face the Flush

» Primus Suspect? Unions Seek Answers

» Big Australian�s Merger Faces Rocky Road

» Happy Hour for Heineken with a Half-Price Dollar

» Arnotts Workers Call for Consumer Boycott

» Asian Women at Work: Daring To Act

» Academic Sacking Sparks Global Row

» Labor Councillors Feel Childcare Heat

» Rail Workers Win Maintenance Security

» Knitwear Company Stitched Up Over AWAs

» Three Stripes and You�re Out

» Unions and Students Move on Harvard

» IT Workers Alliance � Last Call for Comment

» Our News Feed Hits 1000

» Activist Notebook

» The Soapbox

» The Locker Room

» Trades Hall

» Tool Shed

» The Great May Day Debate

» Questions for Macca

» Qantas on Impulse

» Compo: The Great Tradition

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