Support the meatworkers to win.
This fight is your fight.
Beef processor G&K O'Connor in Packenham, Melbourne, Australia have locked
out 300 union members. The locked out workers, members of the Australasian
Meat Industry Employees' Union (AMIEU) need your support.
The dispute started in November 1998, when the union tried to negotiate a
new enterprise agreement with O'Connor. But the company refused to
negotiate and demanded a 10% to 17.5% pay cut for the workers.
The workers rejected the pay cut and continued to work according to the
previous agreement while continuing negotiations. But the company was not
interested in negotiation. O'Connor locked out its entire union workforce
on Friday 19 March.
The meat industry is seasonal, and at this time there are ofter partial
shutdowns. But in this case the company is using a lockout to deny workers
all payments including long service leave and annual leave, while they
demand that workers agree to the pay cuts if they want to go back to work.
O'Connors is using lawyers that were involved in the attempted destruction
of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) in 1998. This is clearly yet
another attempt to use the Australian government's anti-union laws to deny
workers' basic rights, including the right to have a wage.
Financial assistance required.
The main focus of financial assistance has been the provision of food
vouchers. These have been organised through the union shop committee at
Pakenham.
There are two important things that you can do to support the locked out
workers at Pakenham. They need money to continue the their struggle. They
also need to know that other workers are aware of their situation and
support them.
Send donations to:
AMIEU, 62 Lygon Street
Carlton Vic 3053 Australia
Cheques payable to: "Pakenham Relief Fund"
Send messages of support to:
AMIEU, 62 Lygon Street
Carlton Vic 3053 Australia
Phone: 03 9662 3766
Fax: 03 9662 9549
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
***
Australia Asia Worker Links
PO Box 264 Fitzroy Victoria 3065 Australia
Tel: 03 9419 5045 Fax: 03 9416 2746
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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