SPC workers win

A week of industrial action has returned pay rises, job 
security and shorter working hours to hundreds of rural Victorian 
workers.

Around 1500 food and maintenance workers employed by SPC Ardmona 
in the Goulburn Valley stood firm to beat off "disappointing" 
company EBA offers.

Two separate EBAs saw around 1500 process workers get 13.5 
percent increases over three years and the maintenance workers, 
represented by the Australian Workers Union and a number of other 
unions covering maintenance workers.

SPC Ardmona maintenance workers had never struck during harvest 
time before. In fact, they had helped keep the company afloat by 
volunteering for pay cuts in 1990.

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) representative, Ray 
Campbell, said job security had been the key issue for his 
members.

"They wanted the capacity to move employees anywhere around the 
Goulburn Valley which is a pretty big place. We were also aware 
that the company has been in acquisition mode", Campbell said.

Campbell said that objection had been overcome and his members 
had retained important voluntary redundancy provisions.