By CASEY NEILL
WORKERS at two Dandenong South sites rallied for their rights on Saturday.
Nissan will outsource its warehousing to CEVA Logistics, making about 40 jobs at the Frankston-Dandenong Road site redundant.
About 80 employees and supporters protested from 10.30am on 11 July.
Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union organiser Toby Paterson said the workers organised the barbecue and rally.
“It was a bit of a community rally and they wanted to send a message to the company that they were very disappointed with the outcome,” he said.
“Hopefully there’ll be a positive outcome. Maybe some of the workers will be redeployed into the casting plant across the road.”
Just up the road, Aspen employees also rallied on Saturday after establishing a picket line at 11pm on Tuesday 7 July.
They held protected action following 18 months of failed negotiations with the pharmaceutical company to establish a new workplace agreement.
Mr Paterson said Aspen then locked workers out on Thursday and Friday.
“That means that they weren’t getting paid,” she said.
An Aspen spokesperson said the proposal was for workers to voluntarily convert their roster to an average 38-hour week with 12 rostered days off (RDOs) instead of their current 36-hour week with 24 RDOs.
They would receive a higher hourly rate in exchange, but workers don’t want to give up their RDOs.
“The picket line is continuing,” Mr Paterson said.
“They’re taking strong action. It’s all about the time with their families.
“It’s not about pay, it’s about their conditions.
“The families were there supporting them.”
