Susan Price, Sydney

One hundred protesting unionists forced Imperial Mushrooms, located in Sydney's far western suburbs, to shut its gates for the day on August 12. The unionists were taking action in support of Carmen Walacz Vel Walewska, a mushroom picker who was sacked for questioning the conditions in her Australian Workplace Agreement.

Walacz Vel Walewska had been forced to sign the AWA on the spot or lose shifts. She was sacked after complaining to her boss when she found out that the AWA severely undercut the award, paying only $16.55 per hour (the award rate is $16.95) and stripping away her holiday pay, long-service leave, sick pay, penalty rates, meal allowance, travel allowance, parental leave, bereavement leave, and redundancy and severance entitlements.

The protest was part of Unions NSW’s “Name and Shame” campaign.

Carmen Walacz Vel Walewska joined the protest and spoke to the media outside the company gates. Photo by Susan Price.

From Green Left Weekly, August 17, 2005.
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