Supplier dispute threatening Ford and Holden production

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Cúl-Báire

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/...parts-dispute/

Thanks for that informative post Cúl-Báire,

Let's hope there's a speedy resolution..

[BroadyFord]

Good that work will continue but at what cost?

Auto parts workers reach deal, end dispute


http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/au...812-242em.html

A crisis in Australia's car making industry was tonight averted when about 140 striking workers at a Dandenong auto-parts factory accepted a revised industrial relations deal and agreed to return to work.

After a day of crisis talks before the industrial umpire, workers at aiDair Industries tonight accepted an in-principle compromise deal over redundancy provisions, which had been a sticking point in six months of enterprise bargaining talks.

The workers had been picketing since last Wednesday but agreed to return to work tomorrow.

Earlier, the company, which makes car parts for Holden, Ford and Toyota, and two unions - the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union and the Australian Workers Union - reached a compromise after five hours of talks behind closed doors with the industrial umpire, Fair Work Australia Commissioner Wayne Blair.

The workers had been picketing since last Wednesday but agreed to return to work tomorrow.

The picket had prompted fears that if it dragged on, production at the car makers could grind to a halt this week as they ran short of vital parts. AiDair makes rear bumper assemblies, foot brakes, clutch mechanisms and bonnet hinges.

Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union assistant state secretary Leigh Diehm said today he was happy to recommend the revised offer to members, as the company had come up with a "reasonable offer".

AiDair Industries' general manager of operations, Kevin Boyle, said the dispute had been "damaging to everybody" and that the car makers would have been unable to produce vehicles had the dispute not been settled.

Federal Employment Minister Bill Shorten, who had talked privately with all sides, arrived at FWA's Melbourne offices shortly after the official talks broke up.

Mr Shorten said today's hearing showed the government's industrial relations system worked, but conceded the dispute had cost both company and workers.

"Sometimes it does take the sharp end of the debate to focus minds on what people have in common, as opposed to what divides them," he said.

Opposition industry spokeswoman Sophie Mirabella said the dispute was "yet more evidence" the Gillard government did not understand the car industry and had ineffective policies.

"This government spent $34 million in January of this year on a bail-out that failed to save 440 jobs. Now their failure to legislate or intervene effectively could end up costing the industry this and more," she said.

Mr Shorten said Ms Mirabella was "conspicuously absent from the field of negotiation".

[BroadyFord]

A few more details here.

More than 52 weeks redundancy pay, which in my opinion is obscene! (Having said that I don't know what is generally considered average redundancy pay but it seems excessive).

I'd be interested to know if there were any commitments from the union to enhance productivity or be reasonable on other issues.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by BroadyFord

A few more details here.

More than 52 weeks redundancy pay, which in my opinion is obscene! (Having said that I don't know what is generally considered average redundancy pay but it seems excessive).

I'd be interested to know if there were any commitments from the union to enhance productivity or be reasonable on other issues.

excessive is not the word i would be using...

[MrEL]

The way the car industry is heading you cannot blame workers for wanting a decent redundancy package shored up in negotiations when it could be done.
Before all the know it alls get on the big anti union bandwagon , think about if you were in the workers shoes. Watching your industry and livelihood die , with kids to feed and a roof to keep over the families head.
You would be chasing the exact same thing to try and protect your family incase the axe does fall.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by MrEL

incase the axe does fall.

if the axe does fall (company shuts doors) where is the money gong to come from to pay out your redundancy package?

[BHDOGS]

Originally Posted by MrEL

The way the car industry is heading you cannot blame workers for wanting a decent redundancy package shored up in negotiations when it could be done.
Before all the know it alls get on the big anti union bandwagon , think about if you were in the workers shoes. Watching your industry and livelihood die , with kids to feed and a roof to keep over the families head.
You would be chasing the exact same thing to try and protect your family incase the axe does fall.

Why should the company that's going down hill give you money they don't have to prop you up after they go broke pay out the entitles fine but 52 weeks is ********

[robbo/region15]

Autodom HQ is in Perth.
Sites are in Adelaide,New Gisborne,Dandenong,plus Bayswater moved into Dandenong site.Each site is independant of each other.

[Road_Warrior]

52 weeks. Ker-rist. Little wonder the car makers are sourcing more and more from global parts supply chains.

[robbo/region15]

Originally Posted by prydey

if the axe does fall (company shuts doors) where is the money gong to come from to pay out your redundancy package?

The last lot who got retrenched/sacked from here got there entitlements from "Geers".
Think you will find aiDair[Dandenong] got there retrenchment capped at a 104 week limit.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-1...strike/4193918

[robbo/region15]

Originally Posted by BroadyFord

A few more details here.

More than 52 weeks redundancy pay, which in my opinion is obscene! (Having said that I don't know what is generally considered average redundancy pay but it seems excessive).

I'd be interested to know if there were any commitments from the union to enhance productivity or be reasonable on other issues.

In days gone bye a retrenchment package was:
1. 4 weeks in lieu
2 . 4 weeks for every.year
3. All sick pay paid out.
4.Long service paid out.

These days its been whittled down to capped at 26 weeks pay capped.So someone with 30 odd years service get stuff all.

[MrEL]

Originally Posted by BHDOGS

Why should the company that's going down hill give you money they don't have to prop you up after they go broke pay out the entitles fine but 52 weeks is ********

As stated below the company doesnt have to go broke for people to be made redundant.
A 52 week redundancy clause doesnt mean everyone who gets made redundant will get 52 weeks pay. If you have been there 3 years you could get 12 weeks pay depending on how the packages are worked out.
Working on the general rule of thumb of 4 weeks per year served even at 52 weeks anything more then 13 years of service is not worth any more cash. If redundancy was capped at 26 weeks pay anything more then 6.5 years of service wouldnt be worth anything to the employee.
HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN AT YOUR JOB? I know I have over 6.5 years of service at my job and would be deadset filthy if I got the punt with only 26 weeks (6 and a bit months) pay. After you have paid tax on the package at the highest rate as a lump sum payment it would nearly be halved. So how does a worker that gets made redundant survive on 3 and a bit months pay , while retraining to take on other work and then job hunting?
Remember its a manufacturing plant. The skills people have there wouldnt be used many other places in society where you could walk out of one long term job on the Friday and start at another on the Monday.
Do you believe in yourself that a person can work for a company for 15 years and possibly know nothing else because they went to their job instead of taking time off and doing other training , can get the tap on the shoulder and be told they are finished at the end of the week due to a restructure or downsize and walk out with next to nothing and that be fair?


You can sit there and make your claims that 52 weeks pay is excessive but sit there and think how it would affect you if it happened to you.

Originally Posted by prydey

if the axe does fall (company shuts doors) where is the money gong to come from to pay out your redundancy package?

Do you believe people only get made redundant when a company goes bust?
What about restructuring and downsizing?
With Ford looking more and more likely to leave the market and vehicles from all manufacturers here not selling as well as they used to companies will be downsizing and restructuring their operations to keep the doors open. In these cases peoples jobs can go while the company is still running. The recent mass redundancies at Toyota and the upcoming 400 redundancies at Ford come to mind!
Do people who get caught up in the bristles of the redundancy broom deserve to be just kicked out the gate with next to nothing?

[olds]

Originally Posted by prydey

agree. there are so many people around that think they are extremely hard done by if they don't get some sort of pay increase every year.

if they have to go more than a few years they start screaming how its 'unfair'. etc.

places like alcoa get into trouble and yet the workers are on 100k/year. i wonder what the minimum wage is for production workers at car manufacturers. too many people think the world owes them a living.

People at Alcoa are on 60k a year

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by prydey

if the axe does fall (company shuts doors) where is the money gong to come from to pay out your redundancy package?

Usually the standard AMWU EBA states something like the money has to go into a separate bank account not controlled by the company, so if they do go under they can't start using employee entitlements to attempt to stay alive.

[Struggo]

Originally Posted by MrEL

HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN AT YOUR JOB? I know I have over 6.5 years of service at my job and would be deadset filthy if I got the punt with only 26 weeks (6 and a bit months) pay. After you have paid tax on the package at the highest rate as a lump sum payment it would nearly be halved. So how does a worker that gets made redundant survive on 3 and a bit months pay , while retraining to take on other work and then job hunting?

Many people whom work for small business would never see such a payout of 52 weeks let alone 26. What makes employees who work for large multi national's so special?

I worked 16 years at my first job which I left on my own accord. The job in question was based on the federal prnt award,

http://www.fwa.gov.au/consolidated_a...2/asframe.html

Years of Service - Under 45 Years of Age Entitlement
Less than 1 year - Nil
1 year and less than 2 years - 4 weeks
2 years and less than 3 years - 7 weeks
3 years and less than 4 years - 10 weeks
4 years and less than 5 years - 12 weeks
5 years and less than 6 years - 14 weeks
6 years and over - 16 weeks

Period of Continuous Service - Period of Notice

Less than 1 year - 1 week
1 year and less than 3 years - 2 weeks
3 years and less than 5 years - 3 weeks
5 years and over - 4 weeks

Re jobs and training, an employer does not have pay you extras for ones lack of training in an alternate work force, thats a pipe dream.

At the end of the day, the world has moved on and its up to an individual to retrain oneself.

Side Note: You may want to look into your award MrEL, you may be in for a shock.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by MrEL

Do you believe in yourself that a person can work for a company for 15 years and possibly know nothing else because they went to their job instead of taking time off and doing other training , can get the tap on the shoulder and be told they are finished at the end of the week due to a restructure or downsize and walk out with next to nothing and that be fair?

why does sticking at a job entitle you to these sort of benefits? is it fair for the employer to continue paying an employee who no longer works there? the majority of people never look at things from the other side of the fence. after 10 - 15 years (depending on your award) you are already entitled to long service leave.

Originally Posted by Struggo

The job in question was based on the federal prnt award,

i am still working under that award.

[bobthebilda]

Interesting to note that the company in question (its controlling company anyhow- Autodom) has just released its latest profit results. It had sales of approx. $90 million to the various car manufacturers, but suffered a $4 million dollar loss for the year. The results show it has nett assets of 700 thousand dollars, but strangely had minus $52,000 in cash. The accounts dont show a pretty picture that this company is a going concern, and we may be looking at further issues in the near future for the car manufacturers.