About: IR News

News and background about industrial relations in Australia.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

MEC Yallourn Dispute

Latrobe Valley Express 19.04.06
• Court backs former workers' right to protest
• Standing Firm

A court bid by Mechanical Engineering Corporation to ban former employees from protesting outside the company's Yallourn Workshop has failed...more | Court Transcript
Latrobe Valley Express 5.03.07
• How did MEC set up in the Valley?
• Council Incentives

Latrobe City Council helped Mechanical Engineering Corporation (MEC) establish its Yallourn workshop it has been revealed...more
MEC workers: six month lock-out
The 49 locked out workers from Elliott group's MEC Engineering continue to maintain a six-month 'protest embassy' to fight for their jobs and entitlements...more
GTLC Media Release 21.02.07
  • MEC - History of Deceit
The Gippsland Trades and Labour Council calls on both State and Federal Government to change legislation...more
Latobe Valley Express 18.01.07
  • MEC employees left with difficult decision, Sign Up or Leave
Employees locked out of Mechanical Engineering Corporation's Yallourn workshop will be forced to return to work under individual contracts or they may lose their jobs permanently...more
GTLC Newsletter No3 28.11.06
Latrobe Valley Express 6.11.06
  • Workers, MES refuse to budge in industrial row
  • Dispute Stalemate
The industrial dispute at Mechanical Engineering Services' Yallourn workshop has been labeled a 'ping pong' match after workers were again locked out on Friday...more
Green Left Weekly 8.11.06
by Sue Bolton

Locked out Yallourn workers need solidarity
Forty-nine workers at the largest workshop in the Latrobe Valley have been locked out for almost three months by Mechanical Engineering Services (MES). As soon has he'd locked out the workers, the company owner, Anthony Elliot, went overseas for several weeks...more
Latrobe Valley Express 26.10.06
  • Workers turn tables on workshop dispute
Workers at the Mechanical Engineering Services workshop in Yallourn have defied an order to return to work and are now out on strike...more
GTLC Newsletter No 2 23.10.06
Latrobe Valley Express 16.10.06
  • Unions hope for MEC peace deal
Workers locked out of their Yallourn workshop by engineering firm MEC were hopeful of a resolution today, with union and company representatives due to enter discussions at 3pm...more
Latrobe Valley Express 2.10.06
  • Union passes the hat around for workers
A community support fund has been established for Yallourn workers locked out of the MEC workshop for the next three months...more
GTLC Newsletter No1 21.09.07
GTLC Media Release 18.09.06
  • Howard's Treacherous IR Laws Used Against Gippsland Workers
  • 48 Workers Locked Out
The Gippsland Trades and Labour Council Secretary, John Parker, has described the locking out of 48 workers for 3 months by Mechanical Engineering Services as un-Australian...more
Latrobe Valley Express 18.09.06
  • Employees maintain a vigil at Yallourn workshop
Workers continued to defy a three month lock-out at Mechanical Engineering Corporation's workshop at Yallourn by maintaining their protest at the company's gates this morning...more

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Sunday, April 08, 2007

Desperate Move by Preston Motors

In a desperate move today (Thurs 5 April) Preston Motors cut through their own electric fence to move parts via an access road along the Upfield railway line. Eyewitnesses report seeing a convoy exitting the yard swinging onto the narrow and rough unsealed road adjancent the Upfield rail line. Their is no traffic barrier between the track and the railway cutting and one of the trucks nearly tipped over close to the edge of the cutting, this poses a huge safety concern as suburban trains travel in both directions along the single line. Preston Motor's actions could have resulted in either the cancellation of train services or a serious accident.

Union members in rail were informed and train company Connex reportedly rang Preston Motors warning of legal action if vehicles moved along the road again.

Due to the safety issues involved Workcover are investigating the incident and have issued an order preventing Preston Motors using the route again. The Hume council are also looking into the incident.

Tracks leading out from fence behind Preston Motors (notice how close track on left is to the railway cutting)


Point where fence was cut


Contractor repairing top wires on electric fence
 
 

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