Show of force at Para Quad
The National Union of Workers General Branch WA were supported by other unions and the community at a rally in front of the head office of Para Quad on Monday 23 January for two reasons...
NUW members are joined by other unions at a protest at Para Quad headquarters in WA
First, the NUW and the union movement in WA wanted to show Para Quad
that the workers at Windsor Wipers Sales, a section of Para Quad, are not alone and that they have wide support.
Second, the protesters wanted to show CEO Nigel
Glass, and other unfair bosses like him, that when you attack workers rights you
will draw the attention of a united trade union movement.
So what is this all about?
On Friday 13 January, Windsor Wiper Sales made four of its permanent work force redundant, some of them longtime workers with over 20 years service. This occurred after they signed a petition in support of bargaining for an EBA at their worksite.
The women, aged between 45 and 65 years of age, along with a majority of their coworkers signed the petition in early 2011. However the site manager rejected the petition and the Union was forced to take the matter to Fair Work Australia (FWA) after Mr Glass said that these women lacked the capacity to understand what the petition meant. At FWA, the Commissioner ruled that a secret ballot be conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).
Before the Company was due to submit a list of current employees to the AEC, the four workers were made redundant with the company citing a lack of work. Casual employees and workers on holiday/working visas, continue to be employed at the site.
Mrs Jane Kay the union delegate said, “We had the support of FWA to ask other workers at the site if they would like an EBA as part of our job, but before we even had a chance to do it we were shown the door.
“We made some very modest claims, including our right to have a safer workplace and to access salary sacrificing (a perk that is granted to other Para Quad employees), I just can’t believe that the company has acted so badly.”
Approximately 60 people came down to the protest on Monday. Local greens member Allison
Xamon attended the rally and asked for more information and indicated her preparedness to
raise the issue in Parliament.
A
number of unions including the CFMEU, ASU, CPSU, CSA, Unions WA and the ACTU joined the protest in numbers with flags flying. There was also a contingent of retired workers
from the AMWU. Solidarity came from other NUW members in the market research industry.
NUW Organiser Katrina Robertson said all workers had a right to seek an EBA as part of their employment and the treatment of these women was appalling. “I think these workers, some who have shown incredible loyalty to the company, were sacked because they tried to get what was rightfully theirs,” Ms Robertson said.
“These women deserve a guarantee from the Para Quad board and management at Windsor Wipers that should the work resume at the plant they would be taken back on fulltime.
“Workers, no matter what their skill level, have the right to collectively bargain.”
The Union will continue looking at options to get the best outcome for the workers at Windsor Wipers.
