(en) Anarkismo.net: Support IFF workers in Melbourne by Dmitri - MACG

About 25-30 workers at International Flavours and Fragrances (IFF) in Dandenong, Melbourne 
have initiated a factory occupation in january 25 2015 in response to the company trying 
to force a pay cut and indefinitely locking them out. SUPPORT IS NEEDED NOW! It's really 
significant that these workers have decided to take strong industrial action at a point 
when workers rights are under attack more than ever. ---- About 25-30 workers at 
International Flavours and Fragrances (IFF) in Dandenong, Melbourne have initiated a 
factory occupation in january 25 2015 in response to the company trying to force a pay cut 
and indefinitely locking them out. ---- SUPPORT IS NEEDED NOW! It's really significant 
that these workers have decided to take strong industrial action at a point when workers 
rights are under attack more than ever.

Some Anarchist Affinity members are in the factory from the first time.

Also MACG members have visited the site.

It would be great to have as many people as possible down here asap so we can show 
solidarity. They have been told to leave or risk trespass by the cops, but have 
unanimously voted to stay. The cops will probably try to remove them forcefully at some 
point today.

The factory is 5km from Dandenong Railway station. 310 Dandenong Valley Highway.

The bosses went into arbitration with the workers through the Fair Work Commission. This 
could result in an injunction ordering the workers to be forced to leave by the cops. Some 
of us will be down there from 7:30am onwards in case we're needed to help support in the 
case of a forcible eviction.

The workers at International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) have been camping on the 
Dandenong site since early Tuesday morning in an effort to get a pay rise linked to the 
consumer price index (CPI).

The matter went before the Fair Work Commission on last Tuesday night and the hearing it 
was to resume on Thursday morning.

The National Union of Workers said the sit-in, which has been dubbed "occupy Dandenong", 
was in response to an indefinite lockout served to the workers from management.

One of the workers, Arthur Ingles, said they had been negotiating over pay and the removal 
of paid breaks since September.

"We've had EBA negotiations underway since approximately September last year, despite 
everyone's attempts to resolve this situation, it got to a situation where it was commonly 
acknowledged that we were just going around in circles," Mr Ingles said.

"As a result, we applied to take protected industrial action, which was to commence on the 
Tuesday."

But Mr Ingles said when workers arrived to work on Tuesday at 6:00am to "listen to the 
company's response", they found themselves locked out.

"From there we chose to take action which we believe would accelerate the resolution of 
this situation and chose to be locked in to the premises, rather than locked out," he said.

The company said they had negotiated in good faith and instituted the lockout because the 
planned industrial action included a paperwork ban.

"A paperwork ban that would have negatively impacted our ability to maintain quality 
control over the products we manufacture," IFF said in a statement. "As our products are 
consumed by families everywhere, we take the quality and safety of everything we make very 
seriously.
"Therefore, we had no choice but to lock out the workers who would be manufacturing our 
products without the benefit of quality control processes." The company said they would 
continue to try to reconcile the situation through the Fair Work Commission over coming days.
"We look forward to an equitable resolution and to getting our employees back to work."

Mr Ingles said his colleagues were prepared to sit it out for as long as the matter took.

"We believe that this situation should've and could've been resolved between the two 
interested parties, given the stand that we've taken that we're at work and we're prepared 
to work, we're prepared to be here until the situation's resolved," he said.

Mr Ingles said the group was reasonably comfortable in their temporary residence.

"We're living like kings, I'm sure," he said.

"We're able to bring in food, we've been able to bring in bedding, and it's as comfortable 
as it can be although I don't think it's going to make it to Dandenong's top 10 hotels."

***

IFF: Meet with your employees in Dandenong

To: Arjan Koudijs, Regional Operations Manager, Asia Pacific Region

We want to get back to work! We're calling on IFF's Asia Pacific Regional Operations 
Manager, Arjan Koudijs to meet with Australian employees and end this lockout.

Why is this important?

On January 27, 2015, Australian employees of International Flavours & Fragrances (IFF) 
began occupying our factory in Dandenong. We were forced to take this action because local 
Australian management has pushed us to the brink. We believe matters cannot be resolved 
with local Australian management and we ask that IFF's leadership listen to us, the IFF 
workforce in Dandenong, because our voices are not being heard in Australia.

All we want is to be heard and genuinely negotiate a workplace agreement, which benefits 
the interests of both the workers and the interests of the company. We, the workers, have 
a clear interest in IFF .

In the past, and specifically during the negotiations of our last agreement, we were 
promised there would be a cultural change from management. But things have only gotten 
worse. Local management couldn't care less about us. There is no acknowledgement of the 
humanity involved in the process of running a business.

We were also promised that, due to a break down with local management, we would have 
quarterly meetings with the Asia Pacific management team. However, we have had only one of 
these meetings over the last three years.

We believe it is not difficult to treat people with respect. Unfortunately a culture of 
respect is not encouraged or practiced by management in Australia. Mr Koudijs, we call on 
you to intervene because we believe Australian management cannot or will not negotiate 
fairly or respectfully. So far, local management have continued to be provocative and 
combative, which is not conducive to an agreement being reached.

There has been much talk of productivity from local management, and workers have gone to 
great lengths already, including moving to 24-hour production. Now it is also time to 
recognise that workers want security, not uncertainty and anxiety. This, not stealing 
workers' 10 minute breaks, will see an increase in productivity and the health and well 
being of the workforce.

Mr Koudijs, to end this lockout and help deliver a swift and fair agreement, will you meet 
with workers?

http://www.coworker.org/petitions/why-we-re-occupying-d...02593

http://www.nuw.org.au/campaigns/occupy-dandenong

http://www.anarkismo.net/article/27846