Industrial dispute at Viking
By Nick Markin
SYDNEY — Workers at Viking Office Products in Rydalmere have faced harassment and intimidation in their attempts to remove an unsafe work practice which leads to back injuries.
Members of the National Union of Workers voted for work bans on January 29. Management originally tried intimidating unionists, but then agreed to phase out the unsafe practice in a process that gives preference to unionists.
Two days later Gary Mullen, a co-delegate at the site, was suspended by management on what were widely seen as trumped-up charges. The suspension on full pay lasted for three days, with Mullen receiving an official warning from management.
NUW members vowed to take industrial action if management harassed Mullen further, and noted that management was harassing unionists while trying to place employees under a federal award.
The push for federal award coverage by Viking looks increasingly unlikely to be successful, however, after news that the federal office of the NUW is backing the retention of the state award. This conforms with the wishes of the NUW membership and the union's state branch.