The TWU (Victoria/Tasmania Branch) is outraged at the treatment of 19 of its members made redundant by Boral Logistics less than four months after signing a new one-year workplace agreement.
It was revealed at meetings with the employee-drivers yesterday that the workers would be replaced by multi-fleet owners.
These fleet owners engage employees not covered by any Union agreements. Boral Logistics was primarily formed as the transportation arm of its quarry business.
Traditionally, the company have had a mix of employees and owner-drivers but after a “functional review of the business” management decided to make the employee-drivers redundant.
“It is an outrageous, cost-cutting exercise and nothing more than a company bypassing an agreement they have made with a Union, representing workers, before that agreement had expired,” TWU Senior Organiser Chris Fennell said.
“Is this is a new low in the Australian business model? Or is it an American model?”
The drivers were based in Dandenong, Deer Park and Bacchus Marsh.