Sweet victory for sugar workers

IT was a sweet victory for Bundaberg Sugar workers at the weekend after the company decided to allow its employees their travel leave entitlements.

Australian Workers' Union organiser Tony Beers said that travel was not on the agenda as the final negotiations over the enterprise bargaining agreement begin again.

“Travel will not be touched,” he said.

“This was the test case for the sugar industry across Queensland... so all the companies across the state are on notice.”

The union organiser said Bundaberg Sugar has been shown its workers were willing to unite to fight for their rights at work.

“The atmosphere at (Saturday's) meeting was electric in terms that the workers were pretty wild about the whole process,” Mr Beers said.

The company's staff members were locked out of Bingera and Millaquin mills following rolling stoppages and other industrial action by workers throughout the last week.

Mr Beers said the proposal, complete with the untouched travel entitlements, was presented to the union members.

They voted at the meeting on Saturday to accept it and get back to work.

Financial controller at Bundaberg Sugar Leone Aslett said the company was looking to the future and wanted to focus on its employees and cane growers.

“We're really pleased the employees accepted one of our offers and we're moving forward,” she said.

“It's not a pleasant position for our employees, cane growers or the company to be in.”

Harvesting re-commenced yesterday and the financial controller said crushing began again early yesterday morning.

“You forget how wide-spread the impact (of mill closure) actually is,” Ms Aslett said.

“There's fuel providers, (other) companies - even cafes - that are affected,” she said.

“Together with canegrowers and our employees, we now need to focus on building our sugar industry in this region.


Source:news-mail