Sugar workers protest over leave entitlements

Hundreds of sugar mill workers have rallied in Bundaberg demanding the retention of a travel leave entitlement in the first major test of the federal government's Fair Work legislation.

About 200 workers voted unanimously today to take industrial action in an effort to keep the five days' travel entitlement, which they have held for almost 30 years.

Australian Workers Union spokesman Kirby Anderson said the entitlement was given to the mill workers in 1980, when the industry was going through tough economic times and workers often took wage freezes.

"This has been an entitlement for almost 30 years and it's five days that workers can have with their family," Mr Anderson said.

"The company wants to pay that out but it means they have five days less leave a year.

"These workers have stuck by the industry in bad times and now that they are in relatively good times, (the company) wants to take away this leave."

AWU organiser Tony Beers said the workers were frustrated by the approach Bundaberg Sugar's local management is taking to new enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations.

"At the rally today, workers resolved unanimously for the AWU to file an application for protected industrial action with Fair Work Australia," Mr Beers said.

"The AWU will do this on Monday morning."

Mr Beers said the AWU would also seek crisis talks with Canegrowers, the industry's peak representative body, because the planned industrial action would come during the critical crushing season.

"The workers also moved a vote of no confidence in the local management of Bundaberg Sugar," he said.

"The workers will also issue an invitation to the Belgian owners of Bundaberg Sugar to visit and personally intervene."

Mr Beers said the workers were buoyed by resolutions of support from mill workers throughout Queensland concerned their entitlements could be at risk.

AWU members are also distributing postcards that read "It's not a holiday without Dad", addressed to the president and chief executive of Bundaberg's parent company Finasucre, appealing to them to put a stop to the plan.

source: brisbanetimes