Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.

Kraft Cuts 151 Victorian Jobs

Over 150 workers at Kraft’s Broadmeadows plant will be made redundant by the company’s plan to move biscuit production to China.

The move is a further blow to the Australian manufacturing industry which is struggling to compete with the lure of low-wage working conditions in China.

The Liquor, Hospitality and Manufacturing Union (LHMU) says the company treated workers with contempt prior to announcing the decision.

"The announcement of the closure of Biscuit production at the Broadmeadows plant of Kraft came as a horrible surprise for 151 workers yesterday (11 January 2005).”

"Kraft workers for many months had heard rumours that the factory was going to close. But Management showed so little respect for the loyalty of their people that they consistently misled the workforce with regular denials.”

The LHMU says workers were duped by management, who held talks with union reps in December aimed at negotiating a new EBA.

"Workers were not prepared for this announcement, back in December 2005 Kraft was keen to talk to workers and the Union about making improvements to the classification structure under the Enterprise Agreement, then less than 2 months later they are closing the doors.”

Workers went on holidays unaware the company was planning to move production offshore, a callous move according to unions.
"It was a callous act because they lulled many of our people into feeling their jobs were secure - so over the holiday season they didn't watch their pennies and followed tradition of spending money on their families, kids, wives and husbands.”


More Archive

Powered By three squares