{"id":27626,"date":"2011-11-10T15:10:40","date_gmt":"2011-11-10T05:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/slackbastard.anarchobase.com\/?p=27626"},"modified":"2011-11-12T11:49:27","modified_gmt":"2011-11-12T01:49:27","slug":"baiada-poultry-versus-nuw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slackbastard.anarchobase.com\/?p=27626","title":{"rendered":"Baiada Poultry ~versus~ NUW"},"content":{"rendered":"

Update<\/strong> : November 11, 2011 : Court orders union to stop blockade<\/a>, AAP, November 11, 2011. On Friday night police attempted to break the picket. One picketer was seriously injured and taken away by ambulance with suspected leg and\/or spinal injuries. The community picket is being maintained over the weekend and supporters are strongly encouraged to come down and join it.<\/p>\n

You may remember Baiada Poultry<\/a> from such moments as the decapitation<\/a> of Sarel Singh in August 2010. WorkSafe later cited the company over the death. Other industrial smash hits include:<\/p>\n

\u2022 In 2005, St Albans man Mario Azzopardi died at Baiada’s Moorooduc farm when a 550-kilogram steel module fell from a truck after it was loaded by a forklift driven by an unlicensed 16-year-old. Baiada was found guilty by a County Court jury and fined $100,000.
\n\u2022 In 2002, a 31-year-old Tamworth man’s right forearm was severed after his wrist became caught in a machine at a Baiada plant. (‘Baiada factory worker loses arm in accident’, The Northern Daily Leader<\/em>, March 22, 2002. Dunno what WorkCover done.)<\/p>\n

Baiada has also been accused of bullying<\/a>, lying<\/a>, and the super-exploitation of its majority migrant and NESB workers. The National Union of Workers (NUW) wants ‘Better Jobs 4 Better Chicken’<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The company, one of Australia’s largest chicken “processors”, is owned by the Baiada family. Their hard work was recognised earlier in the year when the company was nominated for the ‘Excellence in Community Practices’ award at the 2011 BRW ANZ Private Business Awards<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Despite its excellence, the company is currently embroiled in an industrial dispute with workers belonging to the NUW at their Laverton North factory<\/a> (19 Pipe Road, Laverton North, VIC, 3026 | 1300 137 372). The industrial action has received near-unanimous support from unionists (PDF<\/a>), and is aimed at securing a little moar money and a little better working conditions for members.<\/p>\n

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Sadly, the pursuit of excellence by the Baiada family means that, inter alia<\/em>, the company is currently seeking a Supreme Court injunction to bar all NUW officials from the picket line. Last night, ABC news reported<\/a> that a security guard at the plant, perhaps inspired by the police eviction of Occupy Melbourne, attempted to drive his car through the picket line, established at 6pm last night (Wednesday) and currently ongoing.<\/p>\n

Supporters are being asked to join a community picket at the plant.<\/p>\n