Vic: Meatworkers win thousands of dollars in backpay

AAP General News (Australia)
08-26-2000
Vic: Meatworkers win thousands of dollars in backpay

Meatworkers who were locked out by their employer for nine months have won thousands
of dollars in backpay following a decision in the Federal Court.

The Full Bench of the Federal Court in Melbourne found yesterday that workers at G
an K O'Connor's Pakenham meatworks are entitled to be paid in accordance with an enterprise
bargaining agreement reached in 1992.

The finding will give about 35 workers backpayments of over $20,000 each and, according
to the Australasian Meat Industry Employees' Union, the company may be fined thousands
of dollars.

The union says the company locked workers out for more than nine months last year,
the longest lockout by an employer since the 1930s, in an attempt to force them onto individual
contracts.

The contracts, known as Australian Workplace Agreements, allegedly contained wages
and conditions grossly inferior to those contained in the 1992 union-certified agreement
which had previously governed conditions.

AAP RTV hmg/jd/wz/rt

KEYWORD: MEAT (MELBOURNE)

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.