NUW ready to sell out Kraft worker

indonesia / philippines / australia | workplace struggles | other libertarian press Sunday May 28, 2006 15:39 by an angry worker

The truth is Kraft is seeking to maximise its profits

The Nation Union of Workers (NUW) is already signalling their readyness to sell out workers at Kraft even before mass meetings.

The Nation Union of Workers (NUW) is already signalling their readyness to sell out workers at Kraft even before mass meetings. In a pathetic response to the announcement that multinational gaint Kraft is about to axe 325 jobs the NUW is ready to «accept» the losses to maintain the profits.

The NUW «represents» production workers at both the Strathmerton and Port Melbourne Kraft factories. Workers were told in 24 May 2006 by management that 325 jobs would be lost in a world wide restructure.

NUW Victorian State Secretary Antony Thow has already set the ground for the sell out.

«However, he said, while extremely disappointed, the company maintained that the massive job losses and restructuring were required to maintain the long-term viability of the site, which was of paramount concern to the union and its members.»

Rather than take immediate action the union has promised:

«But we will be sitting down with Kraft in the coming days and weeks to ensure those being made redundant are offered adequate access to re-training programs and counseling services.

“We will also be doing everything in our power to assist our members to find new employment.

We are particularly concerned for our members from Strathmerton who may find it more difficult to find future employment, with work prospects in regional areas a lot tighter than in metropolitan areas like Melbourne.»

Anyone who has lived and worked in country town will know what a crock of shit this is. Many families in Strathmerton are totally dependant on Kraft for their income, it is a one factory town. The sackings at Kraft will also have a dramatic effect on Murray Goulbourn (Cobram) who supplies Kraft with cheese.

The alternative of course is to fight, what have the workers got to lose? Shutting the plant down would galvanize the local community around the workers. At the very least workers could force a better redundacy package or reduce the amount of workers losing their jobs.

For a union to promote the myth that Kraft, a gaint multinational, owned by Phillip Morris needs to cut jobs to remain viable is outrageous. The truth is Kraft is seeking to maximise its profits by exporting jobs. Why should any union go along with that? NUW article about Kraft:

http://www.nuw.org.au/articles/vic/MediaReleases/kraftloss

PS: The company announced that 150 jobs are to go at Strathmerton the NUW can’t even get the figure right.