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14 November, 2005
ICEM Australian affiliates AMWU and CFMEU, along with public health groups, picketed James Hardie’s profit announcement meeting last week in Sydney because of company delays in signing a final compensation package for victims of asbestos-related diseases.
After heavy pressure, the building products company agreed last December to sign an A$4.5 billion package over 40 years for workers inflicted with the deadly diseases. James Hardie was announcing a half-year’s profit jump of 67%, or A$141 million.
The company, meanwhile, instigated, a labour dispute at two Queensland plants beginning 26 October when it locked out 110 workers, represented by Australian Workers Union (AWU), at one of the plants. Some 120 workers at the other launched an immediate sympathy strike. The dispute is over James Hardie’s intent to divide the common enterprise agreement shared by workers of the two plants.
AWU calls the company action one of greed, timed to coincide with passage of proposed industrial relations reform that would, among other things, severely weaken enterprise agreements.
The 26 October lockout and strike at Meeandah and Carole Park plants near Brisbane lasted 28 hours and have been repeated twice in the ensuing weeks. Managers at the two plants have also punished workers by withholding scheduled production bonuses, amounting to A$1,200 per worker.