Page 11 - ETU Journal Autumn 2017

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THE ETU > SUMMER 2016 11
THE ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION KNOWS HOW TO FIGHT A DISPUTE; ETU MEMBERS KNOW HOW
TO FIGHT A DISPUTE; NEITHER KNOW HOW TO GIVE UP THE FIGHT.
As a critical maintenance worker who has been through this kind of approach and as a historian who has researched and documented similar disputes, I can say, with some of that clear thinking, there are better ways to manage than to attack workers who have absolute support from their unions and the community beyond; co-operation and conciliation comes to mind.
From my experience, co-operation and conciliation will ind a lasting solution long before a war of attrition. CUB executives need to take a step back and reconsider their position. The Electrical Trades Union knows how to ight a dispute; ETU members know how to ight a dispute; neither know how to give up the ight. Declaring war without knowing your enemy is action with lawed thought. n
AB InBev takes 10 over CUB from
OCT 2016
12
InBev regional president Jan Craps writes to Troy Gray to seek a resolution to the dispute
OCT 2016 Mediation with 20 CUB & InBev at
the Fair Work Commission commences
Individual contracts pit one person against another. “If he’s getting paid more than I am for doing the same job then let him do it.” Critical line maintenance workers need to work as a team, but with new workers,
on individual contracts, you’d have better luck trying to get six cats to pull a dog sled in a straight line.
CUB strategy creates dysfunction
CUB needs loyal workers because, in the worst of times, they’ve got to come together as a team, do the extra hard yards without being asked and do it without a second thought.
But this IR strategy has now created a dysfunctional production line, workers trying to defend themselves with their union solidly alongside them and community support growing. There are 18,000 ETU unionists standing alongside these CUB workers, and they will be there till the end. Executives responsible to their shareholders
need to step back and reconsider their approach and their goals.
400,000
500,000 450,000
420,000 388,000
400,000
TODAY
20 weeks of production at less than half of usual production
488,000 500,000
400,000
10JUN 17JUN 24JUN 1JUL 8JUL 15JUL 22JUL 29JUL 5AUG 12AUG 19AUG 26AUG 2SEP 9SEP
Cases of beer produced still less than half than before workers sacked.
OCT 2016
SAB Miller
1,100,000
300,000
350,000
350,000
180,000