Poultry workers at Baiada are fighting for respect on the job for all Australians
Celebration in the western suburbs 
Members gathered by the Maribyrnong River to celebrate the victory after two weeks on a picket line against an aggressive management team who had never shown them respect for the work they do.
Members, officials, and community supporters brought food and drink to share, and our kids ran and played in the sunshine.
People spoke about how the industrial action had changed their lives, through new relationships, through supporting each other through tough and scary times, through a new understanding on how Australia can work - based on mutual respect, solidarity, multiculturalism and social justice.
The workers from Baiada are an inspiration to keep on fighting and uniting in 2012
To the workers at Baiada Poultry
Congratulations
to all the NUW members at Baiada in Laverton for your hard work and
fearless efforts over the last four months of negotiations.
Your resolve has lead to a new Agreement that you were told you would never have.
While many members have said they are grateful and surprised by the amount of support from the movement and community, many other unionists are filled with inspiration and pride at what you have done for your workplace and the Australian Union Movement by standing up for your rights against such odds.
Now every worker at Baiada in Laverton will be paid site rates
No more cash in hand. No more $10!
Your redundancy payments have more than doubled.
Union and delegate rights, and procedures to deal with bullying and harassment have improved to protect workers.
There will be an official mass meeting to formally vote on the agreement and all members will be alerted here on the website, by text message and by email. Please stay tuned.
The workers united will never be defeated
Thursday 17 November
Delegates and members from Baiada Poultry visit Tim Pallas' office in Werribee to seek support for an end to cash in hand contractors, harassment and bullying and extreme health and safety problems at the Laverton site.
Tim Pallas has already made it out to visit the striking workers and his office has said they will do anything they can to help.
Click here to read a local news report in the Hobsons Bay Weekly
Wednesday 16 November
Members at Prime Minister Gillard's office after hearing the news that Baiada management and ex-Liberal candidates paid supervisors and a few non-union workers to protest out the front of her office. Members handed a letter to the Prime Minister to let her know what is really happening at Baiada. The point to cash in hand contractors being paid $10 an hour, a very high rate of injuries and even deaths, and horrendous bullying and harassment on site. The paid protest by Baiada management ended quickly.
For more details see an investigative article at Crikey.com here
Tuesday 15 November
Members including a family member of deceased workers Sarel Singh, have erected a tribute memorial for their lost workmate and held a vigil to pay their respect.
Workers say they never recieved any councelling after Sarel's death and were ordered straight back to work after the line had been cleaned. There are too many injuries continuing at Baiada due to extremely bad health and safety on site. Workers have told of stacks of pallets falling on them and crushing them. Some have shoulder and back injuries from lifting and trying to work with the line that transports chickens going over regulation speed. Many workers have cuts and abrasions from knives and there have even been lost fingers.
Monday 14 November
Workers at a mass meeting to hear that the company still won't address key concern in the EBA.
Member Phong Nguyen listens to report back after a meeting with the company. He remains strongly committed to stopping Baiada continuing to exploit cash-in-hand contractors earning $10 an hour, even after police trampled on his legs and back on the third night of the dispute in an attempt to break up the picket line.
Lead Organiser, Godfrey Moase, get some help with Vietnamese translation from a community supporter at the mass meeting. The update on the company's failure to begin negotiating again is explained to all the workers.
All the workers at the mass meeting.
Sunday 13 November
NUW delegate Tigist talks with ACTU President Ged Kearney
Delegates Gabrielle, Tigist and Dragi speak to Ged about the conditions at Baiada
Members and community supporters cheer together at the show of strength for justice at work after several speaker, including delegates address the crowd. See the video in the right column to hear what was said.
Saturday 12 November
After a terrifying night members and community supporter re-group. With the large numbers of police gone, and the picket line defended in the wake of an injuction of union officials, members get together with supporters to eat, talk, play cards and be together.
Friday 11 November
Members at Baiada and community supporter prepare for an attack on their picket line ordered by the company to remove workers forcibly. For footage of the shameful night see the videos on the right of this screen. Workers chanted "We want fair" and "Sarel Singh, here present!" representing the basic human rights they are trying to defend for their workmates and all Australians. In defending their picket line, many workers said later, that they no longer feel scared like they have for so many years working in Baiada.
Thursday 10 November
These are the people standing up for human rights and basic workers rights, and these are their families.
