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Gove workers' strong global supportDate: 26 April 2005
LHMU Sodexho workers at the Alcan Gove G3 construction site in the Northern Territory have won the support of the largest and fastest growing union in North America. Sodexho workers at Alcan's Gove G3 construction site are fighting an attempt to force them off collective agreements. The company is pushing AWA individual employment contracts, which deliver below standard pay rates to these catering workers.
First ever Big Rat award given to SodexhoThey are based at one of the most remote and isolated communities anywhere in Australia. The closest city is Darwin, some 650 kilometres to the west.Union in the Northern Territory recently awarded the Gove Sodexho site the first ever Big Rat Award for bad employment practices.
New global alliance of workers proposedThe SEIU has recently won significant victories at Sodexho sites in the USA and Canada.The SEIU is looking to create a global alliance of all workers employed by Sodexho; the Paris-based French-multinational. LHMU Gove workers campaign creating global headache for Paris HQAndy Stern, the charismatic leader of the SEIU has sent a short video to the LHMU members in Gove assuring them that SEIU - with 1.8 million members - would support them.Meanwhile Paris head office at Sodexho Alliance seems to have got the message. Local management in Australia have been told they need to talk with LHMU members to fix up a problem which is creating waves across the globe. The 12 million member global union federation the International Union of Foodworkers - which LHMU and SEIU are a part of - have voiced their support in Europe on behalf of Gove workers. And within days LHMU received calls from Sodexho management saying: let's talk. Video tells Gove workers SEIU is on your side all the timeAndy Stern's short SEIU video message tells LHMU people in Gove that his influential union is ready to back our cause.In his view it doesn't matter whether you are a Sodexho worker in Washington, Paris, London, Toronto, Sydney or Gove this multi- billion dollar company can't treat their workers with disrespect. " We are on your side all the time," Andy Stern informed the Gove LHMU workers in a video which is expected to be played in the NT in the next few days. " We will support you in your efforts to win justice for workers at Sodexho as part of a global campaign to take on this company wherever it operates." Canadian SEIU says Sodexho deserves the Big Rat Award in their country tooMeanwhile, from Canada, more messages of support have arrived from about 500 Sodexho workers who have joined SEIU Canada, in Toronto, in the last two weeks." It has come to my attention that Sodexho has been granted the dubious NT's Big Rat Award from your union, the LHMU," Sharleen Stewart, the Canadian SEIU Vice-President, has written in a letter to LHMU Gove Sodexho workers. " Sodexho could be deserving of a similar Canadian award for their consistently poor treatment of workers." Toronto Sodexho workers unioniseCanadian workers in Toronto have decided to form a union because they experienced first-hand what working for Sodexho was like without a union, Sharleen Stewart said." Low wages, favouritism, poor working conditions and a complete lack of respect were rampant. These workers have embraced the idea of solidarity and understand that, together, they are more powerful," Sharleen Stewart said. Reject Sodexho's attempts to undermine collective bargaining" So, it is with a great sense of encouragement that I ask all Sodexho workers across Australia, and especially those at Alcan's Gove G3 construction site, to fully reject Sodexho's attempt to undermine the collective bargaining process." It is essential that we, as workers for a global company, pull together to resist Sodexho's attempt to undercut the progress we have all made in improving our working lives. " We have a responsibility to each other to stand together and keep this company from undermining our unity."
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© 1997-2002 LaborNET is a resource for the labour movement provided by the Labor Council of NSW 10th Floor, 377-383 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Ph: (02) 9264 1691 Fax: (02) 9261 3505 http://www.labor.net.au/news/1114504646_17436.html Last Modified: Tuesday, 15-Nov-2005 18:35:43 EST
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