Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union

 

AMWU national links help Orora bargaining team

AMWU members at Orora’s beverage cans facility in Canning Vale have used the union’s national reach to shed light on dubious management claims during recent Enterprise Agreement negotiations.

AMWU members at Orora’s beverage cans facility in Canning Vale have used the union’s national reach to shed light on dubious management claims during recent Enterprise Agreement negotiations.

Frustrated by company assertions of inferior conditions interstate and threats to shift production away from WA, the AMWU was able to link interstate delegates to compare notes, which revealed (surprise, surprise) exaggerations and hyperbole from managers.
The exercise ultimately put our Orora bargaining team in a stronger position and meant better pay and conditions in their agreement as a result.

Orora.jpg

Knowlege is power: Orora delegates and Andrew Heatherington and Glenn Storey

AMWU delegate and process worker Glenn Storey says it was an easy way to empower the union negotiating team.

“It was a great way to keep management honest, because until our organiser Michelle made contact interstate we had no real way of verifying management’s claims.

“They’d start telling us this or that and expect us to accept it, but talking with other delegates across the country helped us check what they were saying.”

Glenn says that any group of workers at companies with a national footprint should consider using the union’s Australia-wide structure to combat managers’ divide-and-conquer tactics.

“If members have that option I’d definitely recommend taking advantage of it. Just getting all the facts is really important,” he said.

If you work at a national enterprise, make sure you talk to your organiser about using the AMWU’s national coverage to improve your bargaining position.

Knowledge is power!

Media releases

Sep 19, 2024

500 MANUFACTURING WORKERS FROM TWO OF AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST DEFENCE COMPANIES TO RALLY FOR GOVERNMENT SUPPORT OVER WAGE DISPUTES

Close to 500 South Australian manufacturing workers at two of the country’s largest defence manufacturing companies...


Sep 10, 2024

Defence manufacturing workers stage massive walk-out over below minimum wage increases

Over 100 South Australian workers from Australia’s largest defence company, BAE Systems, walked off the...


Aug 31, 2024

AMWU WELCOMES STARTERS’ GUN ON SOLAR MANUFACTURING

The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) welcomes the long-awaited first phase of the Solar Sunshot...