IUF affiliates in Australia and New Zealand pledge to fight the destruction of jobs in both countries

IUF Food unions in Australasia have pledged greater cooperation in the fight to defend permanent decent jobs in the food processing sector.

The IUF Trans Tasman food sector unions met in Sydney last week to develop an early alert mechanism to inform each other of plans by multinational companies to relocate from State to State or Country to Country in their attempts to reduce wages and outsource jobs.

Affiliated unions are determined there be no repetition of the Heinz relocation in 2011 when 350 permanent jobs were destroyed in Victoria, Australia, and were replaced by 60 -70  minimum wage casual jobs in NZ.

Unions will fight any attempts to destroy permanent jobs and will champion stronger employment law that promotes access to collective bargaining for all workers.

Australian and NZ IUF food affiliates have agreed to regularly share information and to meet twice yearly to further their joint work.