The AMWU will fight to ensure food process workers get a fair deal under the Federal Government’s award modernisation process.
A draft of the new Food Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing Award – which incorporates a number of existing awards – cuts important provisions that shift and seasonal workers rely on.
The AMWU believes that in its current form, the award would disadvantage workers, particular those covered by the existing Food Preservers Award 2000.
While most AMWU food processing members are covered by agreements, there are still many food processing sites which do not have union agreements and operate on the award conditions.
Provisions removed in the draft include:
• payment of shift loadings (15% for afternoon and 30% for evening) on overtime
• triple time for Christmas Day and Good Friday
• paid rest breaks during overtime and on weekends and public holidays
• paid meal breaks for three shift operations
• 52 weeks accident make-up pay
• meal allowance paid after 1.5 hours overtime.
The award modernisation process was designed to produce simplified awards to act as a safety net.
”But removing conditions from awards for the sake of “simplification” disadvantages food process workers who have traditionally had little bargaining power to secure above-award conditions through enterprise bargaining,” says NSW Food and Confectionery Division Secretary Bruce O’Keefe.
“Food workers are largely seasonal and casual, with a high proportion of women.
“Any extra conditions they have won over the years have come through the Commission and been incorporated into the award,” said Mr O’Keefe.
The Australian Industrial Relations Commission is preparing the new awards in consultation with unions and industry.
Barrister Ian Latham represented the AMWU in a full bench hearing of the AIRC – now known as Fair Work Australia – on 1 July. He argued the new award must protect the rights of seasonal workers and reject industry calls to expand the span of ‘ordinary hours’ for food manufacturing workers. Consultation is ongoing and the new awards are set to come into effect on 1 January 2010.