The AMWU is fighting back after fifty four workers were sacked and marched off site from Maxitrans in Ballarat this week.

AMWU organiser David Nunns said the workers did not have a chance to farewell their workmates and were told to leave immediately.

“Every single worker was escorted out. It was an outrageous way to leave for people who have given years of service to the company.”

Mr Nunns said the company was unwilling to negotiate voluntary redundancie.
“Despite repeated requests from the workforce and the AMWU, management refused to call for volunteers in the first instance.”

“Management refused to demonstrate their financial position or to show their order banks to the workforce or to us.”

Mr Nunns said that management had also refused to devulge the selection criteria used to determine who was chosen for termination.

The AMWU has taken the matter to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to examine the way in which the redundancies have been made.