Workers at a Western Sydney steel factory whose boss decided to keep the toilets locked at work couldn’t wait any longer.

Toilets at the Jenmar factory, in the Smerton Grange industrial park near Campbelltown, had been kept locked around the clock so when nature called, workers had to track down a manager, get the keys, unlock the toilets, use the facilities, and then again find a manager to return the keys.

According to the workers on site, if management were elsewhere at a meeting, they took the keys with them.

“That was an issue that came up as soon as we started talking to the workers there,” says NSW organiser Jagath Bandara.

“It was a health and safety issue, and when we took it up with management they agreed to keep the toilets open.”

The workers got in contact with the organisers through the AMWU’s HelpDesk.
NSW organiser Daniel Kyriacou said the number of workers calling from non-union workplaces had been increasing.

“It shows that workers that haven’t been traditionally union still understand that unions can help.

“Once we get the information from the HelpDesk, we can talk to the workers, find out what the issues are and help get their workplaces organised and the issue fixed.”

In the case of Jenmar, the AMWU paid a visit to the workplace, spent time talking to the workers and conducted a survey about the issues in the workplace.

Now they are in the process of putting together a claim for their first collective agreement.

Of 45 employees, over 30 have joined the union, and five delegates have been elected.

Once the survey is complete, the AMWU will start working towards a union collective agreement at the site to improve wages and conditions.

Mr Bandara said that small, un-unionised factories are springing up across Sydney’s west and the AMWU intends to make contact with all of them.

“Our experience tells us workers are grateful for our involvement because they need a collective voice.”