Village Roadshows wage offer of 3.25% ,2.5% & 2.5% to warehouse staff at the Prestons Distribution Centre in Sydney’s west is way below the Australian average. While demanding above average preformance from their staff , Village Roadshow bosses wan,t to offer below average wage rises, for their efforts. Private sector wage offers in enterprise agreements averaged 4.00%.(read story below)

THE economic slowdown and rising unemployment has resulted in a cut back in wage growth under enterprise bargaining agreements, government data shows.

The total average annualised wage increase through enterprise bargaining agreements fell 0.7 per cent in the three months to June from the previous quarter to 3.9 per cent, data released by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations today shows.

Private sector wage agreements fell 0.6 per cent to an annualised rate of 4.0 per cent, while in the public sector they fell 0.4 per cent to 3.9 per cent.

The outcomes are comfortably inside the Reserve Bank of Australia’s perceived “line in the sand” for wages growth of 4.5 per cent.

The minutes of the central bank’s September board meeting said there were clear signs of wage moderation in the economy that would help to contain inflation in the near term.

Don’t forget to get your ballot papers in.

The company has told the AEC that there is no where for the vote to be done on site . The AEC has sent all members ballot papers by post and must be filled out and returned to the AEC in envelope provided by  10.00am 13/10/09.

Don’t let Roadshow win.  If you didn’t receive a ballot paper or you have misplaced your ballot paper it’s not too late to receive one let your organiser know ,and he will explain to you how to get a replacement.

Read below on the history of your long weekend .

BE PROUD TO BE A UNION MEMBER YOUR MOVEMENT HAS ACHIEVED ALOT

IF ALL WORKERS STUCK TOGETHER WE COULD ACHIEVE A WHOLE LOT MORE.

ON BEHALF OF THE NATIONAL UNION OF WORKERS ,NSW  BRANCH 

                                                                    

WE HOPE ALL WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE A GREAT AND SAFE LONG WEEKEND

Labour Day is an Australian public holiday originally called Eight Hours Day. It celebrates the achievements of organised labour on behalf of the worker to bring about the 8-hour day in the late 1850s.

Previously workers were required to work long hours each week . . . 10 to 12 hours a day six days a week. While a change was made to the hours worked each day, the five day work week we enjoy today took almost a century longer to be adopted finally in 1948.

If look closely you may spot the numbers 888 on many union buildings across Australia. The numbers are in support of British socialist Robert Owen who believed that people should have 8 hours to work, 8 hours for recreation and 8 hours to sleep. This philosophy helped foster The Eight Hours Movement.

The first Labour Day parade was held in Melbourne on April 21st, 1856. Today parades across Australia remind us of the accomplishments made by the unions on behalf of the workers. Australians now enjoy better working conditions than any time in our history.

Labour Day is celebrated at different times across Australia because each state achieved the 8-hour day on different dates.

BE PROUD TO BE A UNION MEMBER YOUR MOVEMENT HAS ACHIEVED ALOT IF ALL WORKERS STUCK TOGETHER WE COULD ACHIEVE A WHOLE LOT MORE.

ON BEHALF OF THE NATIONAL UNION OF WORKERS  WE HOPE ALL HAVE A GREAT AND SAFE LONG WEEKEND

Published: 30/09/2009
Today’s report by the Productivity Commission from its inquiry into executive remuneration must send a strong message to corporate Australia that excessive salaries that encourage risk-taking will no longer be tolerated, say unions.

ACTU President Sharan Burrow said working Australians will be expecting the Productivity Commission to recommend tough action to cap outrageous executive salaries and bonuses.

“We cannot continue with business as usual with the greed-fuelled, risky behaviour that led to the Global Financial Crisis,” Ms Burrow said.

“In the past few weeks, we have seen the CEOs and directors of many of Australia’s largest companies pocket increased salaries and bonuses as if the GFC never happened.

“At the same time, they have been exhorting their employees to tighten their belts and make sacrifices to keep their companies profitable. 

“The hundreds of thousands of working Australians who have lost their jobs or had their hours cut to help businesses remain viable over the past year want to see action over executive pay.

“Excessive salaries, bonuses and golden handshakes contributed to the GFC by encouraging risk-taking and short-term thinking that undermined the sustainability of businesses and the financial system.

“Decisive action must be taken to rein in these salaries and prevent a repeat of the GFC.

“This action should include adoption of a proposal from Australian unions to cap the salaries of company chiefs at a maximum of 10 times average earnings in that company,” Ms Burrow said

While Village Roadshow Bosses shower themselves with cash bonuses . They are telling their warehouse workers at the Prestons NSW distribution centre that times are tough and they can’t afford to pay them a decent  living wage. While pickers at Prestons earn just over $16.00 dollars an hour . Roadshow bosses pay them selves millions in bonuses . The warehouse employees have a strike ballot order from the Australian Industrial relations commision , and they go to the polls this week . Workers have asked for a 5% pa  wage increase for a 3 year deal. Roadshow  is offering only 3.25 % in the first year and 2.5% IN THE SECOND AND THIRD YEARS. The union has tried to arrange a meeting with Roadshow HR since the ballot order. But have been told by the HR team theirs no point the companies position hasn’t changed. Village Roadshow looks set for a show down with staff . And I’m sure other parties will be watching closely to current events as the Prestons DC not only distribute Roadshow DVD’s but is also a 3PL for other  DVD companies and supply to some pretty major retailers. With christmas coming things could get real interesting .

JOIN THE NATIONAL UNION OF WORKERS ,NSW BRANCH

http://www.actu.asn.au/Workingforabetterlife.aspx

Posted September 10, 2009 09:42:00
Updated September 10, 2009 09:41:00  

Gold Coast City Council workers will meet today to decide if they will accept a revised enterprise bargaining offer.

Workers were initially seeking a 4.5 per cent pay rise and the Industrial Relations Commission recommended 4 per cent.

The council has proposed a compromise offer of a 3.85 per cent increase in the first year and 3.9 per cent in the second and third years.

The Australian Services Union’s spokesman, David Perry, says council staff will decide today whether the latest offer should be included in the enterprise agreement.

“Obviously council’s latest offer is not quite what the members were seeking,” he said.

“We believe that we’re obligated now to allow them to tell us whether they are prepared to accept that offer before they take any further industrial action.

“But if the ballot or the vote goes against going to ballot then there’ll be further industrial action talked about.”

Village Roadshow Warehouse Workers  at Prestons say NO to Low wage offer 

UNION IS STRENGTH

 

SOUNDS LIKE A  BOSS  WE KNOW DOESN’T IT >>> 

Posted Thu Aug 13, 2009 8:01am AEST
Updated Thu Aug 13, 2009 8:00am AEST

Unions are preparing to step up their dispute with Bundaberg Sugar, in south-east Queensland, over wages and leave entitlements.

The Australian Workers Union (AWU) says industrial action is imminent after Bundaberg Sugar yesterday refused to withdraw plans to scrap cuts to leave entitlements.

AWU spokesman Tony Beers says members will meet this weekend to decide what action to take.

“Those negotiations broke down – it has now turned to a mass meeting on Saturday morning at the AWU office in Bundaberg with all the sugar workers to discuss what sort of action they will take,” he said.

“No matter what we put to this company they’re just not interested.

“This company is making good money, the prices are right, let’s keep the mills crushing so they can make money and the workers don’t have to lose a day’s pay.”

Mr Beers says workers will fight to keep their leave entitlements.

“Our position is – there is no discussion and no negotiations about giving up our travel time,” he said.

“Its been a condition for sugar workers for many, many years and workers are determined to keep it and that’s what this fight is about.”

Comment is still being sought from Bundaberg Sugar.

 

Ben Schneiders

August 12, 2009

ONE of Australia’s largest employers, Australia Post, is set to face a rolling campaign of industrial action that could result in mail going undelivered and 24-hour strikes in the first major industrial action under the Rudd Government’s Fair Work laws.

Communications Electrical Plumbing Union President Ed Husic will today launch the ballot of 18,000 of the union’s members to endorse the strike action that would include stopping the loading and unloading of vehicles and delivery of mail.

If the ballot is endorsed, mail collection and maintenance would also be affected, while strikes of one hour to 24 hours will also be voted on. Australia Post employs about 34,000 people and Mr Husic said the industrial action was to protect job security.

He said the CEPU wanted to use the new Fair Work laws, which took effect on July 1, to protect a range of workplace conditions in areas such as restrictions on contracting out, safety, workplace flexibility, job security and shift penalties.

An Australia Post spokesman, Alex Twomey, said the company was disappointed by the union’s action and said it had bargained in good faith on a deal that delivered job security and wage rises.

”Given the current economic climate, it is concerning the union would contemplate industrial action,” he said.

A 4 per cent pay rise was paid last week with a further two pay increases to come next year, Mr Twomey said.

Talks have dragged on for more than 18 months and Mr Husic accused management of clinging to WorkChoices.

”What we are saying is they are keeping WorkChoices on life support in Australia Post. They used the law to squeeze out these job security provisions. Now that the fairer law is in place, we are saying, ‘Look, put them back in,’ ” he said.