By Alex Bainbridge
WICKHAM, WA — Robe River unionists have condemned ACTU president Martin Ferguson for mishandling the dispute currently under way at Robe River and have called for his resignation unless he reverses his position and begins supporting their campaign.
The jobs of more than 90 sacked workers are in the balance until after the Industrial Commission resumes its unfair dismissal hearing in early February.
The dispute began as a result of the workers' participation in the November 30 ACTU-called National Day of Action around the actions of the Kennett government in Victoria. After the 24-hour stop-work, the workers were subjected to individual interviews and asked to make commitments to the company ranging from merely abiding by their contracts to an indefinite no-strike pledge.
Of the minority of workers asked to make this latter pledge, all refused to give an unconditional commitment never to attend a stop-work meeting or strike. They were all given a week's notice after a 24-hour suspension.
A mass meeting voted overwhelmingly to strike immediately the first sackings occurred, which led to a four-day strike.
After an official ACTU resolution called on the company not to sack workers, Ferguson then came out against the rank and file meeting. He urged the workers not to strike and to sign the individual contracts demanded by the company, conceding that this would be "under duress".
Since then the ACTU has paid little attention to the ongoing dispute and has ignored invitations to visit Wickham to hear the workers explain their situation.
Not wanting to challenge the five-day rule (a technicality in the award discovered by Robe's lawyers, whereby workers "absent" for five days are deemed to have abandoned their employment), the workers returned to work to be given a week's notice. The IRC then prohibited Robe from following through with the sackings until after arbitration of the dispute.
Although this order applied to the original 29 sacked workers, Robe refused to admit this until the IRC made it explicit by naming the workers. Even then Robe refused to reinstate the 29, but instead re-employed them, forcing them to go through fresh
induction (known to the workers as "indoctrination") proceedings and to forfeit their long-service entitlements, including travel assistance. Further the company tried to deal with the workers individually, but the workers stood their ground and demanded to be treated as a collective, as the IRC had ordered.
Now a large part of Robe's Wickham work force are on a permanent 38-hour notice until the IRC decides it has reached a "fair resolution" of the conflict.
Despite the IRC order to maintain the status quo, Robe is acting as if all the workers have been sacked. Thus it has also filed eviction notices to all workers involved. Since Robe maintains that workers' tenancy agreements in Robe's company houses are unrelated to their contracts of employment, all workers involved currently have eviction notices hanging over their heads which potentially will expire before the IRC has disposed of the matter.
Wickham workers are seeking support and solidarity from other workers, unions and progressive organisations. Supporters can write to 42 Poinciana Place, Wickham WA 6720, fax (091) 87 1533 or phone (091) 87 1012, and send donations to the rank and file controlled Wickham Welfare Fund through ANZ (016 815) 257 661 306 (donations should be accompanied by messages if possible).