Fed: Wattyl workers see red over 'blob' jibe

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2005
Fed: Wattyl workers see red over 'blob' jibe

SYDNEY, April 4 AAP - About 350 Wattyl paint workers in five states were on strike
today to protest against a leaked management email in which unionised employees were referred
to as "blobs".

The Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU) said an email was sent out to
company management last week which illustrated "ugly and disrespectful" tactics towards
union members, according to the union's national secretary Jo-anne Schofield.

The company has disputed the claim and said the strike action was sparked by a breakdown
in negotiations for a new workplace agreement.

"An email was sent out last week giving instructions on how to `prevent a blob from
entering the site'," Ms Schofield said.

"Top management are talking about loyal workers ... as if they were expendable splotches,
dribbles and smudges to be wiped out at will."

About 350 union members at the firm's NSW, Victorian, Queensland, South Australian
and West Australian factories went out on strike on Friday.

They will return to work on Wednesday, Ms Schofield said.

The union is currently negotiating a new enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) for
Wattyl factory workers.

It wants a five per cent per annum pay rise and improved redundancy payouts, while
the company has offered a four per cent per annum wage rise.

A spokesman for Wattyl confirmed that no production or product shipping had taken place
since Friday, but no serious shortages were anticipated.

He said he was not aware of any email in which unionised employees were criticised.

"We certainly wouldn't be referring to anybody as blobs," he said.

AAP smb/nf/cdh/jlw

KEYWORD: WATTYL

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