Media Event:
Workers from all unions and both CSL sites will be holding a stoppage and action.
CSL Broadmeadows (access via Camp Rd)
10am-2pm – Work Stoppage and Action
12.00pm: Media Conference
Unions that represent workers at the multinational pharmaceutical company CSL are calling on the company to resolve the long-running dispute with its workers and stop their campaign to cut the conditions and allowances of its workforce.
Members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU), Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), Electrical Trades Union (ETU) and the National Union of Workers (NUW) are standing together and will be taking protected industrial action following stalled negotiations with the company.
CSL is trying to cut the conditions of its workers in the new enterprise agreement and undermining the job security of its workforce, despite reporting increasing company profits.
CSL Limited reported a net profit after tax of US$692 million for the half year ended 31 December 2014, an increase of US$47 million (7% on a reported basis) on the same period in 2013.
CSL is due to announce this year’s profit on Wednesday.
CSL workers at the Broadmeadows and Parkville sites oversee every stage of the production of important pharmaceuticals, blood products and vaccines, including the flu vaccine.
Maintenance, laboratory, research and store workers have applied to take protected action in response to CSL’s demands for workers to accept cuts to their conditions and allowances.
The workers are happy to rollover their existing agreement along with a modest wage increase. However CSL is trying to force the workers to accept a freeze on all allowances for the life of the agreement, as well as a lowering of performance pay for some workers.
Allowances make up a significant part of the take-home pay of laboratory and shift workers, who rely on them to pay their bills and feed their families.
CSL also wants to force maintenance workers into a two-tier system, where new workers will have to work ten-day fortnights, while existing workers continue on a nine-day fortnight.
“These workers are extremely skilled, meet all of their targets, and do a great job making the vaccines and pharmaceuticals that keep Australians healthy,” said CPSU Science and Communications Director, Teresa Davison
“They are proud of the work they do but the increased outsourcing, insecurity and losses to conditions are making their working lives hard and putting pressure on workers and their families.”
AMWU Victorian Assistant State Secretary Craig Kelly said that CSL is engaging in a union-busting campaign to slash the wages and conditions of all its workers, all while making huge global profits.
“It’s appalling to see a multinational pharmaceutical company that makes an enormous global profit trying to slash the allowances and conditions of workers,” he said.
“CSL want to cut the take-home pay of these workers, just to boost their already enormous global profits,” said Tony Gray, ETU Victoria State Secretary.
Gray said the workers are resolved to protect their conditions and allowances, and will fight to ensure their terms and conditions don’t go backwards.
“All the workers are united, and will fight this for as long as it takes,” said Gray.
NUW Victorian Secretary Gary Maas said that CSL was undermining secure work conditions that members had fought hard for in the proposed agreement.
“Workers need jobs they can count on and we will stand united for secure, quality jobs”, he said.
ENDS
Media contact:
John Hill (AMWU) – 0412 197 079
Chris Taylor (CPSU) - 0409 493 290
Carina Garland (NUW) - 0435 866 355
Jason Gibson (ETU) - 0433 544 277