The Guardian 28 June, 2006
"Think before you drink!"
Tooheys drinkers are being urged to consider the attractions of Reschs, Carlton or VB as brewery drivers face earnings cuts that could cost them their family homes. Under Tooheys’ new contract with transport company Linfox, drivers are being told to cut their pay by $42,000 as well as fork out $50,000 to upgrade their rigs.
"We’d like people to think before they have a drink", Unions NSW Assistant Secretary Mark Lennon said. NSW Parliamentarians have little choice as bar staff are refusing to serve Tooheys brews because of its "deplorable" treatment of drivers.
Public Service Association Secretary, John Cahill, said bar staff were outraged at Tooheys using the current industrial relations climate to dud workers.
"They saw it as a good way to put a bit of pressure on Tooheys", Cahill said.
The contracts came as the Federal Government introduced new "independent contractor" Bill to Parliament, laws which will deny thousands of workers the right to conditions protected under state law, such as minimum rates of pay and entitlements if they are passed.
The Independent Contractors Bill would put "independent contractors" outside of employment laws and within commercial laws.
Owner-drivers are the only group exempted from the Bill’s provisions, but this will be reviewed after 12 months.
Tooheys drivers are resisting Tooheys demands through the Transport Workers Union which are locked in negotiations.
The TWU says drivers have paid up to $450,000 for their Tooheys rounds and the proposals would cost debt-laden drivers their family homes.
The government’s Bill seeks to deny contractors the right to bargain collectively. It would be to "collude" against commercial giants like Lion Nathan or Linfox.
"Contractor" status has already been forced on building workers and meatworkers, including labourers, in the face of Australian Tax Office (ATO) warnings that contracting poses a threat to the integrity of Australia’s tax system.
The ATO told the federal government’s Building Industry Royal Commission that the sector hid up to 40 percent of its income with contractors posing the biggest problem.
It testified levels of non-compliance were "high and widespread" amongst smaller industry operators.