Car Companies Do The Dirty

Date: 28 November 2006

Holden and Ford had treated loyal, hard-working Australian workers disgracefully by today reneging on their agreement to keep car component factory Ajax operating until next March, the Australian Workers' Union said.

AWU Victorian Secretary Cesar Melhem said the management of the major car companies should bow their heads in shame for double-crossing more than 180 Ajax workers.

Mr Melhem said the car companies informed a meeting today - which involved AWU officials and administrator Price Waterhouse Coopers - that they were walking away from the deal reached in August to keep Ajax running until March, providing the administrator with time to prepare the business for sale.

"Despite the cloud hanging over their heads, our members at Ajax have kept working their hearts out, and have kept supplying quality products on-time to these car companies," Mr Melhem.

"It is truly sickening for these companies to turn around and treat our members and their families so callously.

"If the car companies weren't prepared to keep their side of the deal, the very least they could have done was to give us some warning that they were going to renege.

"Instead, we now have to deliver some truly terrible news to our members.

"A month out from Christmas, these hard-working Australians are facing the real prospect of losing their jobs and the full entitlements they have accrued over many years of loyal service."

Mr Melhem said while the Federal Government stood on the sidelines and pretended that workers' entitlements were guaranteed under the GEERs scheme, people should read the fine print.

"Under the GEERs scheme, workers only receive basic entitlements, not anything like the level which they are owed after several decades of loyal service," Mr Melhem said.

"I'd like to see whether Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews would be prepared to accept less than what he is entitled to when he retires?"

Mr Melhem said the AWU would meet with Ajax workers at the Braeside factory at 7am tomorrow.

For further information

Union:	The Australian Workers' Union
Phone:	03 8327 0888
Fax:	03 8327 0899
Email:	media@awu.net.au
WWW:	http://www.awu.net.au

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