RDOs and Picnic Day restored at Glassworks

FFTS members at Glassworks will enjoy the industry picnic day for the first time this year after months of negotiations with the company.

Glassworks when it joined the industry, at the height of Work Choices two years ago, brought in a non-union agreement that had many deficiencies for workers.

Since then, thanks to the hard work of FFTS members, delegates and officials the company has signed a union collective agreement.

And to complete that struggle we have now clawed back the industry picnic day and 13 rostered days off for the workers.

Keep up the good work!

K Glass do a ''runner'' to Tasmania to avoid Union writ

K Glass like convicted Venezuelan hit-man Ilich Ramrez Snchez (aka Carlos the Jackal), who changed his identity many times to escape police, have tried to avoid the reach of the CFMEU by running to Tasmania.

But it doesn’t matter how much cosmetic surgery the company has done, while they remain in business they cannot escape the thousands of dollars they owe in superannuation, redundancy pay and long service leave.

On 23 September last year branch lawyer Kelvin Reidy kicked off proceedings in the Victorian Magistrates Court to recoup unpaid super, Incolink and SEET contributions.

Since lodging the claim the company have crossed the Bass Strait and not turned up to court to defend the Union’s claim.

Branch Secretary Leo Skourdoumbis said K Glass cannot expect to ''tap dance around their liabilities'' by fleeing interstate.

''This skulduggery will only result in the Union lawfully seizing the company’s assets and auctioning them off, with the proceeds going to our members,'' Leo Skourdoumbis said.

Last November the Union made an Application for Order against the company, which will enable the Sherriff’s Office to confiscate the company’s assets.

Right of entry dispute blows up in face of employer

A right of entry dispute last September between the Union and Campbellfield based Designerform Pty Ltd has resulted in pay increases, back pay and better hours after an out court of settlement in November.

Workers at Designerform asked the Union to investigate company records as employees believed they were working an extra nine minutes unpaid each day.

In carrying out his inquiries Joe Patti entered the factory and was confronted by the owners, Mr and Mrs Saykan, who tried to stop his entry.

Having resisted the company’s demands management said they would sit in on any meeting Joe Patti held and take notes. Joe told company director Nebbie Saykan she must leave, which she eventually did.

But the company’s efforts to interfere didn’t cease there as Joe Patti in October was told to leave, which saw the matter before the industrial tribunal, Fair Work Australia.

When put before FWA Senior Deputy President Acton said the company must let the Union do their job.

''This company and others must always respect the right of the Union to enter the workplace,'' Mr Patti said.

From there the matter unravelled for the company. They could either agree to settle the underpayment or face a bruising prosecution in the Federal Magistrates Court for several breaches of the Act.

The company now must pay up to $45 extra per week plus back pay for those workers who have left the company. And to make sure the company don’t take from workers again the Union made them sign a deed, which binds them to a 38 hour week.

Award Modernisation

From 1 January 2010 the Glass and Furnishing Awards were replaced as part of the Rudd government's award modernisation process.

The relevant Awards for FFTS members are now the:
- On-Site Builidng and Construction
- Manufacturing
- Timber
- Joinery and Building

Click on this link for a table to see what Award is applicable to you.

Staying at West Melbourne

Please note that the FFTS office will remain at 148 -152 Miller St, West Melbourne VIC 3003.