Hundreds lose defence jobs in Nowra

Date: 30 May 2000

Government privatisation and outsourcing has resulted in a British-based multinational sacking hundreds of people on the NSW South Coast who work in the cleaning, maintenance and security sections of HMAS Albatross and HMAS Cresswell.

The British company - SERCO - won the outsource contract and have immediately taken the opportunity to establish a hostile anti-union environment at the two Navy bases, Bryan Smith, Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union (LHMU) Regional Organiser said today.

Tomorrow evening SERCO will offer less than 15 per cent of the existing workforce - most of whom are now in permanent employment - a hope of getting their own jobs back.

This drastic cutback is in a region which has among the highest levels of unemployment in NSW.

More than 200 members of the LHMU, and their supporters, will rally tomorrow at HMAS Albatross - just before SERCO begins making its offer of individual employment contracts at a briefing session they have advertised.

The union will also lobby the local Federal MP, Mrs Joanna Gash, the Member for Gilmore who has agreed to attend tomorrow's union rally.

Bryan Smith, said: " Mrs Gash holds one of the Howard Government's most marginal seats. We will remind her that if 300 people lose local jobs they, and their families, will be very angry voters at the next election.

" John Howard says he wants to support jobs in regional Australia. Mrs Gash should explain how this action, to do away with our jobs, supports regional Australia."

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Bryan Smith said the union members want a collective agreement negotiated between SERCO and the LHMU based on the Defence Contractors Award.

" Union members want us to act as their bargaining agent. They are not interested in the individual employment contracts which SERCO is promoting."

" The individual employment contracts will offer little or no real job security. SERCO wants to create a casual workforce instead of a permanent workforce and they want to cut working hours and conditions.

" The strategy is obvious. The Nowra- Jervis Bay region has one of the highest levels of unemployment in this State. The company wants to increase worker tension about their livelihoods and futures , and so create a compliant workforce.

" Our members are organising to get widespread local community support on this issue. "

The South Coast Labor Council Dispute's committee will meet tonight to organise further support for LHMU members.

The union has organised a rally at HMAS Albatross, Albatross Rd, Nowra, at 5pm tomorrow (Wednesday May 31)

The rally is timed to start just before SERCO begins their briefings of potential employees at the same site.
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For further information:
Bryan Smith, LHMU Regional Organiser, tel: (w) 02 42 296577 or (mob) 0408 230 558

For further information

Contact:	Andrew Casey
Union:	Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union
Phone:	9281 9511
Fax:	92821 4480
Email:	Andrewc@lhmu.org.au
WWW:	http://www.lhmu.org.au

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