Issue # 1416      24 June 2009

Thiess pushes dodgy agreement, sacks workers

Construction company Thiess has sacked four workers who rejected a deal which would have forced them to take annual leave if machinery broke down and stripped them of rostered days off in exchange for a one per cent pay rise.

The company told the workers at they were being laid off because of a downturn of work, however, it has since emerged that workers from a nearby site are being trained to take over.

Under new work laws which come into effect on I July 2009, Thiess will be obligated to undertake good faith negotiations with workers and their chosen representatives. Until then Thiess is under no obligation to undertake good faith negotiations.

It is clear from their actions Theiss is trying to push through their substandard agreement before the new work laws take effect.

The CFMEU (Construction Union) strongly condemns Thiess’s attempts to bully workers into accepting a substandard agreement. The CFMEU is calling on Thiess to reinstate the workers who have been sacked and to enter into good faith negotiations with the workers and their representatives.

The union is also calling on the federal government to intervene to stop substandard agreements such as this one from going ahead before the changes to work laws.

What you can do to help:

Call Thiess general manager Doug Moss and politely ask for the Rhodes workers to be reinstated and for the company to enter good faith negotiations:
Phone: 02 9881 9700 Email: feedback@thiess.com.au

Call the federal member John Murphy and ask the government to intervene to stop substandard agreements:
Phone: 02 9745 4433 Email John.Murphy.MP@aph.gov.au

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