Holden workers go on strike

[BroadyFord]

Just heard on the radio that GMH workers at Port Melbourne have gone on strike over changes to the EBA.

They're helping Holden dig their own graves.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Yeah Idiots...

No wonder the industries rooted.

[GASWAGON]

Gees that did'nt last long......What union are they in there?

[vztrt]

Thought the guys in Port Melbourne weren't effected by the stuff going on in SA?

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Thought the guys in Port Melbourne weren't effected by the stuff going on in SA?

Is their engineering division in Melbourne or SA??

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Is their engineering division in Melbourne or SA??

Melbourne.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Melbourne.

IIRC there were some engineers getting made redundant. 100 or so.

[vztrt]

News story


http://www.theage.com.au/national/ho...114-2xi0g.html

Holden workers walk out over redundancy dispute

November 14, 2013 - 11:08AM

Hundreds of staff at Holden's Port Melbourne factory walked off the job on Thursday morning over an argument with the car maker over redundancy payouts.

Staff at Holden's Fishermans Bend engine factory walked out this morning, objecting to part of the plan by the company to renegotiate their enterprise bargaining agreement.

The company wants to cap redundancy payouts at 52 weeks under a revised agreement, one worker who walked off the job this morning said.

Many staff have been at Holden for more than two decades, and would receive far more than 52 weeks' pay if the company makes them redundant. Other car makers in Australia, Toyota and Ford, offer up to 90 weeks if workers are forced to take a redundancy payout.
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One employee who walked out said that the larger South Australian Holden assembly line were holding a meeting soon to discuss redundancy provisions in their enterprise bargaining agreement, and could walk off the job too.

Holden and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union have been contacted for comment.

[Wretched]

52 weeks and they're complaining?
Christ, we're capped at 12 weeks.

I'd be over the moon with 52 weeks.

[GQ_Smooth]

Originally Posted by Wretched

52 weeks and they're complaining?
Christ, we're capped at 12 weeks.

I'd be over the moon with 52 weeks.

You are correct, most Australian work places cap payouts to 12 weeks for redundancy.

What this is telling me is the workers/unions expect Holden to close (and Holden for that matter) and want to do what they can to keep their payout entitlements. If I was in their shoes, I'd do the same, well more to the point, if I was in their shoes I would have left automotive manufacturing industry a while ago.

[GASWAGON]

Its fair enough if you have been a loyal employee for 20 yrs.....Thats what Holden agreed to in the original EBA.....If they cannot afford it they have to close down even sooner than 2016..... They'll probably ask for more tax payers bailout money now to cover the costs?

It seems more and more these days that 20 -30 yrs service does'nt mean anything anymore.....Sign of the times!

[eb2fairmont]

All about reducing company liability, in light of the increasing likelihood of closure.

Question is if GMH were doing well would there be a concern about capping redundancies?

[BroadyFord]

Originally Posted by eb2fairmont

All about reducing company liability, in light of the increasing likelihood of closure.

Question is if GMH were doing well would there be a concern about capping redundancies?

As this is the case when do people expect GMH to announce closure? Eg will it be next month when a final decision surrounding future investment is made at GM in Detroit or early next year in tandem with the productivity commissions's findings?

There's also zero prospect of the government giving any further funding (at least in the short term) to the auto sector, especially given they may have to cut spending due to the debt ceiling issue.

Tense and depressing times...

[TheSneakiness]

Lets say they keep the redundancy package they have and estimate they get paid 800 a week clear.

By 52 weeks its $41600
By 20 years its $832000

See why if Holden want to remain viable in this country it needs to be capped. I think they should deal with the new EBA and continue to work until closure, this stunt will just make them unemployed quicker.

[eb2fairmont]

Originally Posted by Rapid_Axe

Lets say they keep the redundancy package they have and estimate they get paid 800 a week clear.

By 52 weeks its $41600
By 20 years its $832000

See why if Holden want to remain viable in this country it needs to be capped. I think they should deal with the new EBA and continue to work until closure, this stunt will just make them unemployed quicker.

True. But does it apply against retirement or resignation? My experience is that leave and long service are paid, not X weeks per year in the case of retrenchment.

If the former is the case and a company is going well its irrelevant. If the latter is true (them delving x weeks per year for resignation/retirement) they're ******.

[stevanford]

Originally Posted by Rapid_Axe

Lets say they keep the redundancy package they have and estimate they get paid 800 a week clear.

By 52 weeks its $41600
By 20 years its $832000

Not quite. Most redundancies are set at 4 weeks for every year of service. 20 years service would add up to 80 weeks or about $64,000 if they were getting paid 800 a week.

[buickman]

Originally Posted by stevanford

Not quite. Most redundancies are set at 4 weeks for every year of service. 20 years service would add up to 80 weeks or about $64,000 if they were getting paid 800 a week.

I've had 2 payouts and thats what both were 4 weeks and and extra 6 weeks on top on that if you were over 45 in one on the companies very few would get more than $40,000 and whats wrong with that if your have been a loyal worker and a EBA is in place you cannot change the goal posts then give large payments to CEO's for stitching a working man of some coin.

[bob^]

Not quite, they still do have a cap.
Ford had one that was 3.1 weeks pay for every year of service capped at 75 weeks. Then there was 1 week on top of that for every year of service which was uncapped.
No one will walk out with $800k.
Good on them for walking out. The EBA was agreed to and signed for. You can't just go and make changes to it. Else it is no longer an agreement.

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by bob^

Not quite, they still do have a cap.
Ford had one that was 3.1 weeks pay for every year of service capped at 75 weeks. Then there was 1 week on top of that for every year of service which was uncapped.
No one will walk out with $800k.
Good on them for walking out. The EBA was agreed to and signed for. You can't just go and make changes to it. Else it is no longer an agreement.

This is where unions are worth paying fees for.....Job security, payrates, and EBA agreed packages.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by EF_6

This is where unions are worth paying fees for.....Job security, payrates, and EBA agreed packages.

and inevitable offshoring....

[tezxr8man]

Originally Posted by b0son

and inevitable offshoring....

they have contributed no doubt. they have there place but in some cases the industry in Australia is less competitive because of them.
It's a fine line

[dddd]

Originally Posted by EF_6

This is where unions are worth paying fees for.....Job security, payrates, and EBA agreed packages.

"Job security" well yes, right up until the whole place closes down. I suppose you are right. Unions certainly are effective.

Can anyone answer me this. What makes this industry so special that it can afford to pay its workers such lavish pay packages and rights, for example why should they have up to 52-75 weeks when the rest of the industry is more like 12? I can't help but feel if the unions had a little less to say and were a little less effective, they might all still have jobs.

"Unions worth paying fees too". I guess it comes down to whether you think short term or long term, unfortunately these I do believe most Australians do only think of today and never give the future a thought

[fte50]

Originally Posted by dddd

"Job security" well yes, right up until the whole place closes down. I suppose you are right. Unions certainly are effective.

Lets not forget the 60+ yrs of achievement gone by... unions are not to blame for this but more so that we are competing on an non level playing field.
You simply cant sustain the cost of Australian living on 3rd world wages wether your a union member or union basher.

Originally Posted by dddd

Can anyone answer me this. What makes this industry so special that it can afford to pay its workers such lavish pay packages and rights, for example why should they have up to 52-75 weeks when the rest of the industry is more like 12? I can't help but feel if the unions had a little less to say and were a little less effective, they might all still have jobs.

By the rest of the industry I take it you mean Ford, GM, Chrysler etc.
All these Multi -national GIANTS are aligned and share "their industrial awards" which are on par with each other. Again multinational giants that have the capacity to control the governments, or enough "real " asset equity to buy 3rd world countries for fun.

The rest of the industry on 12weeks ???? Lets not compare apples with pears.

Originally Posted by dddd

"Unions worth paying fees too". I guess it comes down to whether you think short term or long term, unfortunately these I do believe most Australians do only think of today and never give the future a thought

Are you suggesting the members and employees who's majority average 20yrs service but many have upto 35yrs were all thinking short term !
All the rights and conditions gained in Australia over the course of our industrialisation period have been short sighted...?

[BroadyFord]

Surprisingly quiet from Dowling on twitter.

I would expect an "end is nigh" article by the end of the day.

[buggo]

Originally Posted by BroadyFord

Surprisingly quiet from Dowling on twitter.

I would expect an "end is nigh" article by the end of the day.

Don't worry mate, I'm sure his hands are moving quicker than they would on a lonely Saturday night

[V8 Ghia Mike]

Man, I'd get a bottle of bourbon, a handshake and straight onto to dole queue! I'd be more than happy with 52 weeks. People don't know how lucky they have it sometimes. With that sort of payout I'd take 6 months off then spend the other looking for a new job.

Mike

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by V8 Ghia Mike

Man, I'd get a bottle of bourbon, a handshake and straight onto to dole queue! I'd be more than happy with 52 weeks. People don't know how lucky they have it sometimes. With that sort of payout I'd take 6 months off then spend the other looking for a new job.

Mike

Well why the bloody hell did Holden agree and sign to the original agreement?

If it was too generous they should hav'nt done it?

I know of an ex Nylex woker that did 13yrs.....they went broke he lost his job and he got..........Nothing!

[b0son]

Originally Posted by EF_6

Well why the bloody hell did Holden agree and sign to the original agreement?

If it was too generous they should hav'nt done it?

and the other option was... ?

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by b0son

and the other option was... ?

Ye i see what you are saying if it was the union that demanded the original package?

[burnz]

Originally Posted by V8 Ghia Mike

Man, I'd get a bottle of bourbon, a handshake and straight onto to dole queue! I'd be more than happy with 52 weeks. People don't know how lucky they have it sometimes. With that sort of payout I'd take 6 months off then spend the other looking for a new job.

Mike

60K pay out, no dole for two years.