Protecting family life

Date: 22 July 2009

Fair Work Australia ordered today for a ballot of Bundaberg Sugar workers on their plans to take industrial action to protect their leave entitlements.

Postcard tells Belgian bosses that attack on work entitlements hurts families

The Australian Workers' Union applied to Fair Work Australia to conduct a ballot after continued threats to their annual leave entitlements.

The ballot will close on 19 August. The ballot will be conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission.

Attack on leave entitlements impacts on family life

AWU Senior Industrial Advocate Chris Simpson said at a rally in Bundaberg on Saturday, workers unanimously supported an application to Fair Work Australia for protected industrial action to protect their long-held "travel leave" entitlement of five days each year.

"Our members are angry with the persistent attempts by local management of Bundaberg Sugar to reduce their leave entitlements with the obvious impacts on their families," he said.

Workers stood by industry in its darkest hours

"These workers stood by Bundaberg Sugar and the industry in its darkest hours; at times of poor crops and poor prices.

" At times, there wages were frozen."

"Now with good sugar process and a promising crush, local management of Bundaberg Sugar are attacking the workers' entitlements."

Postcards sent to foreign owners highlighting bloody-mindedness of local management

Mr Simpson said the AWU would be organising a meeting with grower representatives, Canegrowers.

Workers are also sending "postcards" to the foreign owners of Bundaberg Sugar, Finasucre (Download the PDF). They highlight the bloody-mindedness of local management.

Read earlier AWU statements on Bundaberg Sugar

• Union application for sugar industrial action to be heard tomorrow

• Union to seek protected industrial action on behalf of Qld sugar workers

Read media reports on this dispute

• Sugar workers fight to protect leave

• Sugar dispute a 'watershed' ( Bundaberg News-Mail)

• Sugar mill workers to take industrial action (ABC)

Media contact

For more information please contact Jim Wilson on 0419 765 952.

For further information

Contact:	Peter Lewis
Union:	Labor Council of NSW
WWW:	http://www.awu.net.au/

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