Workers occupy Melbourne factory

In a dramatic move, 25 workers have occupied their Melbourne factory in protest against being locked out by their employer during enterprise bargaining. A pre-dawn meeting of the workers, members of the National Union of Workers, voted to occupy the International Flavors and Fragrances factory in Dandenong South.

IFF is a global company with operations in 30 countries, making artificial flavours and smells for the food and cosmetic industries. Last year it reported a profit of $353 million – a jump of $100 million over the previous year – on worldwide revenue of $3 billion.

Despite surging profits, IFF’s Melbourne management have offered its workforce a 55 cent per hour wage increase, and insisted that they give up one of their two paid ten minute breaks along with other long standing conditions.

After rejecting this, workers last week imposed low level bans on the completion of paperwork. The company’s response was over the top: management issued every worker with notices for an indefinite lockout, effective from 6am this morning.

The workers and their union see this escalation as fitting a pattern of employer aggression. In an environment where the federal government and their big business allies are sharpening the knives for wide ranging attacks on workers, this group have decided to resist.

[Check back with Red Flag and the National Union of Workers facebook page for updates as they come.]