Inghams rebuild underway
The Inghams Somerville plant, which was damaged at the beginning of the year, is now on its way to being rebuilt.
Organiser Heath Lamaro and Inghams site manager Steve Walters
It has been almost four months since the Ingham’s factory in Somerville burnt down, in early January, and progress is now well underway; with the rebuild on target to meet set dates and times for completion.
Members’ support has been prevalent each step of the way since the tragedy, from lobbying the company to rebuild the plant in order to keep jobs in Victoria, right through to attending mass meetings and assisting with the production of a video in a plea to owner Bob Ingham to rebuild.
This support has been demonstrated through our members’ commitment to working at other poultry plants in the interim until the rebuild is completed with some staff working at sites as far as Thomastown and also the Breakwater facility in Geelong.
NUW Organiser for the site -Heath Lamaro - noted members’ commitment.
“Members have shown a lot of loyalty to their Union. We have members working as far out as Geelong’s Breakwater facility where they are spending most of the week there, away from their families. Other members are being bussed out to the Thomastown site each day and it's their collective strength that's helping us to resolve any site-specific issues”
Inghams’ site manager Steve Walters also praised members’ support for the company.
“The union and the company are maintaining a strong working relationship under difficult circumstances; however the employees have been fantastic in their attitude and commitment to getting the job done.”
Steve Walters and Heath Lamaro Member John Day and Heath
