United Voice News
Queensland union leaders are noticing a disturbing trend of employers using the global financial crisis as an excuse to freeze workers’ pay and conditions unnecessarily.
In many cases, this is happening while senior executives continue to increase their generous remuneration packages.
LHMU Assistant Secretary Michael De Brenni said that some of the employers his union worked with were doing very well in the current market but were still planning to slash conditions and withhold pay increases.
“At the moment, we’re locked in a battle with Arnott’s which is offering its workers a pay increase of 3.5 percent – which is less than CPI,” Mr De Brenni said.
“They’re using the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) as an excuse but we suspect it’s got more to do with profits being siphoned off to offshore owners Campell’s, who are currently paying shareholders a 25 cent dividend.
“There is strong growth in the biscuit market, with Arnotts now holding a 60 percent share and the company is certainly not struggling.”
Mr De Brenni said the union would be coming down hard on employers using the crisis as a smokescreen.
“We’re also seeing Treasury Casino offering a pay increase to workers of only 3 percent, after committing to 3.5 percent late last year,” Mr De Brenni said.
“Considering Tabcorp chief executive Elmer Funke Kupper rewarded himself with a 67 percent increase in remuneration last year, you can see why we consider that offer grossly inadequate.
“The GFC is a hard enough time for workers without us having workers in profitable areas also suffering needlessly.”
