Industrial Workers of the World

Unions can ensure the wages of volunteer emergency services workers like firefighters are protected in the event of forced absences from work. BOYCOTT FOSTERS LARGER FOR SACKING VICTORIAN VOLUNTEER BUSH FIRE FIGHTERS

Firefighters sacked by Foster's Sunday, February 15, 2009 » 07:06am

Workers say brewing giant Foster's deliberately made 115 employees redundant in the aftermath of the Victorian bushfires to minimise publicity. Maintenance and trade staff working at the Abbotsford plant in inner Melbourne, including Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteers Shane Cramer, Dave Dixon and another unnamed worker, were notified of their redundancies on Thursday.

Foster's publicly apologised for the timing of the announcement on Friday, saying it was 'a very unfortunate accident'.

Maintenance fitter Wolfgang Smoger has worked at the Abbotsford plant for 34 years and said the company hid the redundancies behind high media coverage of the devastating bushfires. 'This was done deliberately because they knew we would not be front page,' Mr Smoger said. 'They have taken advantage of the timing.' But he said stoppages were 'a last resort'. 'We are not a bunch that walks out,' he said.

Electrician Pat Tutton said the family atmosphere of the company was becoming eroded. Workers donated their beer vouchers to bushfire victims after learning of their redundancies, he said. 'We've also been pulling a lot of extra shifts to cover for the guys that are out fighting the fires and I think we've got reason to be proud of ourselves for that.'

Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) organiser Chris Spindler said staff may be re-employed by labour hire company ABB but under contracts that stripped them of hard-fought conditions. 'The company has given us no consultation, in terms of reasons why, timing ... there is nothing that can be said that would actually give Foster's an excuse for doing this. 'Foster's is an incredibly profitable company, $713 million they made last year - there is no rational reason for kicking out a workforce that has helped to make that sort of profit.' 'This is no time to make this sort of decision.' The union has launched a campaign to retain the workers' jobs at the plant.

See: http://bigpondnews.com/articles/National/2009/02/15/Firefighters_sacked_by_Fosters_302907.html

Fosters must be punished for this low act. Don't buy Fosters Larger. Show your support to reinstate the fire fighters they've sacked and all the other maintenance workers.

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