Visy strike could affect Christmas beer supplies, says union From: AAP November 29, 2010 12:07PM Increase Text Size Decrease Text Size Print Email Share Add to Digg Add to del.icio.us Add to Facebook Add to Kwoff Add to Myspace Add to Newsvine What are these? ABOUT 500 workers at Visy cardboard manufacturing sites across Australia are threatening an indefinite strike that may affect beer packaging over Christmas, union organisers say.
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) print division national secretary Lorraine Cassin says workers at some Visy sites in West Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland have stopped work over a bargaining dispute.
And she says with Visy plants producing cardboard packaging for breweries such as Fosters, if workers don't return to work, Christmas beer supplies could be threatened.
"They do a number of beer boxes and obviously if there is an indefinite stoppage that would have an effect on supplies of beer boxes over Christmas," Ms Cassin told AAP.
Workers are demanding senior managers enter enterprise bargaining negotiations with them and will meet again this afternoon to determine further action.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar. End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar. "They don't take strike action lightly and there will be meetings around the country to discuss other action, which could include indefinite stoppages," she said.
Negotiations are stalled, with workers demanding a five per cent annual pay increase over three years and Visy offering a four per cent annual rise.
A Visy spokesman said the company's policy was to speak directly to employees rather than provide media comment on the negotiations.
Sites affected by the action are in O'Connor in West Australia, Dandenong in Victoria, Smithfield and Warwick Farm in NSW and Brisbane in Queensland.
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