Support Qantas Valet Workers

indonesia / philippines / australia | workplace struggles | press release Tuesday February 26, 2008 14:16 by Union Solidarity contact at unionsolidarity dot org

Global Day of Action against Unilever

1.Support Qantas Valet Workers
2.Global Day of Action against Unilever

1. Support Qantas Valet Workers

Qantas should immediately step in and save 170 valet parking workers from major cuts to their wages and conditions say unions. The workers have been given a deadline of the end of this week to either accept a pay cut or lose their jobs.

About 170 workers have been affected nationally including 70 at Melbourne as Equity Valet Parking prepares to take over the Qantas Valet Parking contract on March 1.

The change of contract and AWA offer is presently subject to investigations being undertaken by the Victorian Workplace Rights Advocate and the Commonwealth Workplace Ombudsman.

more info: http://www.asu.asn.au/media/airlines_qantas/

Latest update: An action in support of the Valet workers took place Tues 26 February at Melbourne Airport.

Further actions could take place. Please keep in contact with the Union Solidarity website, www.unionsolidarity.org.

Union Solidarity has a SMS alert list. If you would like to be informed of industrial actions in your area go to:

http://www.unionsolidarity.org/php/addrecordform.html

2. Global Day of Action against Unilever

Support Unilever mercury workers in Kodaikanal India

International industrial action & solidarity

Friday 10am, 7 March, Unilever offices, 990 Toorak Road Camberwell

Unilever bought a thermometer factory in Kodaikanal in 1986. The factory was on a mountain in Tamil Nadu in South India, to take advantage of the low wages and the cold climate suitable for mercury manufacturing. But they neglected to tell the workers that mercury is a poison! Workers were manufacturing, and cleaning up mercury spills, with no protection. Mercury waste was dumped in the forests near the factory and in town.

Many deaths and illnesses later, the workers were alerted to the disaster and started a campaign to demand clean-up and compensation. On 7 March 2001 Unilever closed the factory dismissing all workers. Some cleanup has now occurred. But the workers and their families have received no compensation.

The workers at Kodaikanal ask you to support their demands:

* Clean up all mercury from Kodaikanal’s environment

* Pay compensation to the workers exposed to mercury and their families

* Long term medical monitoring and assistance for Kodaikanal workers and residents

more info: kodaikanalstruggle.blogspot.com | www.iuf.org/www/en

Rally Organised by Australia Asia Worker Links: 03 9663 7277

aawl@aawl.org.au | aawl.org.au

Yours in Solidarity

Union Solidarity