Down down! Coles

Baiada strike over! Workers celebrate!

mincingalexettling — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:57:00 +0000

No more cash-in-hand! No more $10! A victory for the workers at Baiada today:

4% pay rise each year of 2 year agreement, increased union and delegate rights, 42 week max redundancy up from 20, adelaide gkk workers reinstated, equal opp clause so that jobs can be applied for fairly, site rates for contractors and casuals, info on all workers to go past union, arb rights at fwa, casual conversion at 6 months. Retention of accident make up pay. Company will not sue union. Consultative committee monthly. Delos to have paid inductions to all new starters and paid time to go to other poultry sites to clean up industry.

Video:

What was the Baiada strike all about?

Delegate Gabriel recommends members vote ‘yes’

Delegate Bill thanks the community, union and the workers

MEDIA RELEASE:

Occupy Melbourne celebrates victory of chicken workers. Now to the nurses!

Tuesday, 22 November 2011

Today’s victory of striking chicken workers is a massive boost in confidence to the most exploited workers of the 99% in Australia. Occupy Melbourne’s Community and Union Outreach group has been a community supporter of the Baiada chicken workers since before the strike, with participants on the picket line during police attacks, as well as performing prominent stunts targeted against major Baiada purchaser Coles.Management at Baiada Poultry today offered their workers a deal which sees an end to cash-in-hand employment and an end to $10 pay. This was a focal point of the campaign best summed up by the popular slogan “no more $10!”. The employees of Baiada Poultry are some of the most exploited in Australia. As well as the low pay, there were accusations of bullying and harassment, intimidation of unionised workers and gross negligence in workplace safety which has lead to two deaths, including a decapitation.

Occupy Melbourne activist Alex Ettling says “Baiada workers and their supporters will celebrate this victory for the 99%, however there is still an underlying injustice in the fact that the Baiada family is worth $495m, whilst these workers continue to be some of the poorest in Australia. Occupy Melbourne is continuing to organise against this massive disparity in wealth and supports workers taking collective action to hold the rich and powerful to account.

“The workers confidence to defy Baiada management and to continue their strike, despite the Victorian Supreme Court’s injunction against the National Union of Workers, indicates a rising tide in worker’s confidence. Despite the stifling limitations on worker’s rights that come from Fair Work Australia, the state and federal governments, the police, and the courts, workers are now showing a readiness to defy the anti-union laws of the 1% and push for economic justice” said Alex Ettling.

The decision of Victorian nurses to defy Fair Work Australia and continue with their industrial action is a welcome sign of the growing confidence of the workers of the 99%. Occupy Melbourne supporters were prominent supporters yesterday, distributing flyers and cheering nurses as they entered Festival Hall to cast their unanimous vote to continue their action.

Alex Ettling said “Massive profits are still being made by the 1% in society, and yet the workers that do some of the most important work in our community are seeing their living standards and workplace conditions attacked. The prosperity just never seems to flow through in a fair way and it is increasingly clear that workers of the 99% will have to go on the offensive if we are ever to achieve any economic justice.”

Occupy Melbourne’s Community and Union Outreach Group will be joining the ANF’s “2011 Public Sector Nurses EBA Community Rally” in support of the nurses on Thursday (12.30pm outside of Myer in Bourke Street Mall). Occupy Melbourne will continue to engage in stunt actions in support of workers, with actions planned for Thursday during the rally and Friday at 5.30pm at City Square.

Occupy Melbourne’s Community and Union Outreach Group

The National Union of Workers has organised a celebration at the Bella Union bar in Trades Hall on Friday.

5pm – 7.30pm, Friday 25 November 2011, Trades Hall (cnr Lygon and Victoria Streets), Carlton.
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=205930649482538

The Orlando fundraiser “Baiada Hater Fundraiser” for Baiada workers will continue on Saturday at Tago Mago, 744 High Street in Thornbury: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=249162425137777. The entry will be reduced to $5. All money will go the workers to cover their reduced income from the last 2 weeks.

What’s wrong with Coles and Baiada Poultry?

mincingalexettling — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:06:24 +0000

Coles sources 80% of its chicken from Baiada Poultry. They are Baiada’s largest customer.
Coles needs to take responsibility for the conduct of their major suppliers. They have an ‘Ethical Sourcing Code’ but they don’t follow it.
Coles must stop profiteering off Baiada’s exploitative work conditions and tell the company to respect their workers.

The workers at the Baida chicken factory in Laverton are refusing to work. The factory is unsafe. Management bullies its employees. The people are paid low wages, sometimes cash-in-hand rates of only $10/hr. There is no job security.

A year ago, a worker was forced to clean a machine while it was still running. He was caught in it and decapitated. His fellow workers were then asked to clean the machine and work an extra hour without pay – the time the machine was stopped to remove the dead worker. Last month two women collapsed from exhaustion after being forced to work a 20 hour shift. If you complain, you lose your job!

Community members have supported the workers union action by stopping the work at the factory. On Friday 11/11/11, Victorian police tried to break through the line of community supporters and reopen this processing centre. Through the collective strength of those defending the workers, they failed. The protest against Baida continues!

The family which owns Baiada is one of the richest families in Australia. At the last count they were worth $495 million! Premier Baillieu, responsible for the use of police against people, is a member of a family also worth $495 million! Workers at Baiada have been earning as little as $10/hr.

Coles says:

It expects its suppliers to comply with all local laws and regulations regarding labour and employment. Illegal labour is not permitted, and Coles will only do business with
suppliers who adhere to Australian law regarding illegal labour, wages and benefits, working hours, discrimination, discipline procedures and health and safety.

Coles says it expects its suppliers to acknowledge that workers have the right to join or form trade unions of their own choosing and to bargain collectively. Suppliers are required to adopt an open attitude toward the activities of trade unions and their organisation activities.

Coles does:

Coles buys 80% of its chicken from Baiada Poultry, a company that has been accused of paying cash in hand workers as little as $10 an hour, allows supervisors to bully, intimidate and sexually harass workers, fails to follow safety procedures set up to protect workers and consumers and tries to force its workers to resign from their union the National Union of Workers.

Two contractors have died at Baiada in the last six years because of unsafe working conditions. One of these men was decapitated. Baiada has been charged for both incidents.

Coles allows a company that uses contractors without food handling training provide the chicken that you eat. The chicken you are buying could be exposed to listeria, campylobacter and salmonella.

Support the campaign!

1) Join the community picket

17-19 Pipe Road, Laverton North (Melways map ref. 40, D10). The factory is a 24/7 site, so community support is needed all the time. Bring a swag/tent, bring your enthusiasm! The union representing the workers, National Union of Workers, has been prevented from supporting the picket after Baiada successfully achieved an injuction against them through the Victorian Supreme Court. That means that the picket is only being sustained by community supporters such as yourself. We need your help!

Contact the Workers Solidarity Network hotline: 0431445978, for any issues with the community picket.

Donate to the strike fund: Workers Solidarity Network is collecting for the striking workers. Please transfer money to: Carboni Social Club, BSB 803226, Account no: 10077.

2) Get involved in the Coles stunts

Members of the community are outraged that Coles is making millions whilst the workers who supply their products are being underpaid, disrespected and risking their lives in unsafe working conditions. We are involved in regular actions to draw attention to Coles role in the exploitation of these workers.

We will be leafletting outside Coles supermarkets, and performing various stunt actions. To get involved, keep up to date with this event page on Facebook or email: occupyworkplaces@gmail.com

3) Help promote the ‘Down down! Coles’ campaign

Print and distribute flyers in your workplace and community:

A4 leaflet – “Coles Says, Coles Does” [Or this version of the above, which is two A5 copies on one A4 sheet]

A4 leaflet ‘I Don’t Feel Like Chicken Tonight” [Or this version of the above, which is two A5 copies on one A4 sheet]

Keep up to date with our events and other campaign materials, and make sure you promote them on Facebook, in your email lists, and sms.