warehouse staff locked out
Union members at Somerton’s Super A-Mart warehouse face an indefinite lockout after management refused to meet union representatives to discuss a new enterprise bargaining agreement. About 35 of the 40 permanent warehouse workers received news of the indefinite lockout during a 24-hour stopwork last Friday. National Union of Workers spokeswoman Alicia Economidis told the Weekly the overseas-owned company had taken “a hostile approach” to negotiations over a $4 an hour pay rise for workers spread over the next three years. She said workers now received about $20/hr, below the industry standard of $24-25/hr.
SBS and ABC threat
Federal MP Brendan O’Connor has warned any budget cuts to SBS will adversely affect the diverse linguistic and cultural groups of people living in Melbourne’s north and west. Gorton MP Mr O’Connor reminded Prime Minister Tony Abbott about his pre-election promise not to cut either the ABC or SBS. He said Mr Abbott had promised: “No cuts to education, no cuts to health, no change to pensions, no change to the GST and no cuts to the ABC or SBS”. The government has established a Commission of Audit, which is examining the SBS budget and undertaking an efficiency review into the ABC and SBS.
Australia Day group
Expressions of interest close on March 25 for nominations to Whittlesea’s Australia Day committee. This voluntary role involves helping decide recipients of Australia Day awards and hosting nominees at the annual celebrations in January. The role is for a two-year-term, expiring February 28, 2016. Email civic.administration@whittlesea.vic.gov.au or write c/- CEO, City of Whittlesea Australia Day Committee, Locked Bag 1, Bundoora MDC VIC 3083
Councils meet
Both Hume and Whittlesea councils meet tonight: Whittlesea at 6.30pm at the civic centre, and Hume at 7pm at Craigieburn’s global learning centre.
