Plastic fantastic

By Lia Bichel
COREX Plastics workers who camped outside in wet and windy weather calling for increased wages reached an agreement with their employer this week.
The agreement was reached after a week-long protest, during which the Dandenong South workers were accused of threatening and intimidating other employees, clients, and deliverers.
Since 7am on 25 August, for 24 hours a day, about 30 employees stopped working and took turns camping outside the business, which specialises in designing, fabricating and supplying extruded multi-wall and solid sheet products for industrial, signage and packaging applications.
At 6.45pm on Tuesday, they agreed to an offer entitling them to a 3 per cent wage increase as of 1 September, 2010, and another 3.5 per cent increase on 1 September 2011 as well as an extra one per cent superannuation.
Organiser Heath Lamaro from National Union of Workers said the outcome was “fantastic.”
He said the company’s original offer was a 3 per cent wage increase starting January 2011, and another 3 per cent in January 2012.
“The guys are happy. We had a great outcome,” he said.
“They stayed strong and united and will be back to work on Monday.”
Managing director Simon Whitely said he was also pleased.
“I think in the end common sense prevailed. It was inevitable we had to reach some conclusion. I think both sides learned a lot from the experience,” he said.
“We look forward to the boys returning next week and getting on with what we do best.”
However, earlier in the week, Mr Whitely and managing director of neighbouring business A Bending Company, Peter Angelico, said the group had been using inappropriate tactics to scare workers, suppliers, clients and even mail deliverers.
Mr Whitely said there was minimal disruption but the “intimidation and pressure they (were) placing on workers and suppliers was unacceptable.”
Mr Angelico said he had been the victim of threats on Monday.
“They came into my business (on Monday) with threats, saying they would be stopping the drivers to explain why they were protesting,” he said.
Mr Angelico said there were also reports of the group reducing a mail deliverer to tears.
But Mr Lamaro has denied the claims, stating that the action was “legally protected” and a “peaceful protest.”
“That is completely unfounded. We were doing it peacefully.”
He said the group allowed people to cross the picket line, but they explained to them the dynamics of the dispute first.
“Many have families themselves, so they were happy to support us,” he said.
“Some people have been dropping off drinks and food and a bakery has dropped off bread, some people just came down to talk. We were amazed at the support the community showed throughout the process – it has been fantastic.”