Beetroot line ends for workers in QLD
Workers walk out of work for the last time
On Friday 16 December, 50 workers left Golden Circle for the last time. NUW members, some who had worked for more than 30 years on the company's beetroot line, were emotion as they gathered with Organisers at the front gate. Delegates reassured members that they would continue to support each other throughout the Christmas period and beyond, and with the help of their Organisers and the Union they would seek new employment.
Even with so many years experience, members jobs have gone to New Zealand because it is cheaper for the company. They can increase their profit margins by packing up a line that had provided for many workers and their families, and moving it overseas. Some have questioned why it is cheaper in New Zealand, and what conditions are their New Zealand counterparts working under. Where are the cuts made?
Golden Circle have advised that there will be more redundancies in 2012, and the Union will continue to take advice from members and delegates to negotiate the best possible outcome, retraining and new work for NUW members.
You can view the Channel 7 report here
On the 27th of May Golden Circle came out and announced to the media that Golden Circle would be making 160 positions redundant at their Queensland site. That will be made up of 124 workers from Food and Beverages, and the rest will come from areas such as maintenance and admin staff.
Some of this work will be moving off shore to New Zealand. The current season will be the last for Beetroot at Golden Circle, which will run out at the end of the year.
Jam, including Ocean Spray, will finish in Australia early next year and move to Hastings in New Zealand.
The Union and the company have met on a weekly base over the last six weeks to discuss the following:
- what the new structure will look like
- what the selection criteria will be
- what support mechanisms will be put in place
- what notifications will be given to prepare for redundancies
- when will workers have a chance to go over any Q&As
- what training will be provided for those that become redundant
Over the last two weeks the company has been calling for voluntary redundancies and almost 100 workers have put in applications.
The company will start notifying workers of redundancies as of Tuesday the 19th, finishing on the 22nd of July. However workers' finishing dates will be between November 2011 and April 2012.
The NUW and Golden Circle have more meetings scheduled in three weeks time to discuss training and any concerns that arrive over the next few weeks.
