One picketer was taken to hospital by ambulance with suspected spinal injuries following the police assault on Friday evening. Despite intimidation by police and private security, a community picket continues throughout the weekend at the Baiada factory, 17–19 Pipe Road, Laverton North. Please call the Workers Solidarity Network mobile on 0431 445 978 for further infos. To donate to the strike fund: Carboni Social Club, BSB 803226, Account no: 10077.
“What’s disgusting? Union busting! What’s outrageous? Poultry wages!”
See also : Workers at Baiada stay strong together on picket line, NUW (November 10, 2011) | Baiada Poultry ~versus~ NUW (November 10, 2011).
What a disgrace.
Just doing their job, ma’am.
Otoh, survey says most police find this kinda stuff (smashing pickets) moar troubling than bashing hippies, which is generally carried out with some aplomb.
Good work, posting this.
I don’t feel like chicken tonight.
Baiada is the primary poultry provider for Coles supermarkets. Baiada’s other major customers include, Woolworths, Aldi, Nando’s, KFC and Red Rooster.
http://www.nuw.org.au/get-informed/news/newsitems/workers-at-baiada-stay-strong-together-on-picket-line
Good to see the Labor government continuing its noble tradition of standing up for the good ol’ working class
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1949_Australian_coal_strike
Also a report on the fightback by the Baiada workers here
http://www.sa.org.au/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=7134:poultry-workers-hold-off-riot-police-attack&Itemid=392
State authoritarianism like this is probably going to increase when the economic crisis starts to bite harder, although plenty of Australians are not as well off as the media would have us think, with around 2.2 million living in poverty, and even more not far away from it
http://www.sa.org.au/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=7122:theres-plenty-to-protest&Itemid=603
The question is, how do we respond? The kind of solidarity the Baiada workers got from the community is obviously inspiring and the right thing to do, but strategically, where should we go from here?
Perhaps a lesson in economics might calm the cops down? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLBxu8ALslQ