Cheese workers turned away from work Monday night

Media Release: Dairy Workers Union
Monday September 21 2009, 7pm.

Cheese factory workers turned away from work tonight

Open Country Cheese workers were turned away from work at 6pm in what now amounts to an unlawful lockout, the Dairy Workers Union said tonight.

“36 workers had been on strike since Thursday over the company’s refusal to negotiate a collective agreement, but ended their strike today on confirmation of an urgent Employment Court hearing on Friday over whether replacement labour was being used illegally by the Talleys-owned company,” Dairy Workers Union National Secretary James Ritchie said tonight.

“The strike is now over, and tonight rostered-on workers turned up for work, but they were rejected by the company who said they were not allowed to work.”

“These workers are now being unlawfully locked out. The company will pay rostered workers their wages, an admission that they should be allowing them to return to work. But these workers are entitled to return to work as normal,” he said.

“Instead, Open Country is continuing to use replacement labour which we believe is unlawful. This is a deliberate choice they are making - when they have choice of using permanent workers who are turning up for work. The company should allow these workers to return to work, and let the Court hear the matter.”

Workers rostered on for the 6am shift would report for work tomorrow, James Ritchie said.

ENDS

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