Local paper: “Bakery workers stage uprising over pay”
Last week UNITE organized a protest out the front of the St Helena Bakers Delight to inform the local community of the dispute. Many students from the local high school came to express support for the Bakers Delight workers.
The protest was reported in the two local papers:
Heidleberg and Diamond Valley Weekly:
Bakery Workers stage uprising over pay
by Alana Schetzer
A bunfight broke out at a St Helena Bakery last week, with staff complaining over pay and conditions offered in a new work agreement.
A reported 50 Bakers Delight employees stages a protest outside the Aquaduct Road store on Wednesday, November 4, demanding owner Wayne Price guarantee their hours and give them penalty rates and holiday and sick pay.
About 100 staff from the St Helena, Diamond Creek and Laurimar stores are working under an expired 2005 agreement, which pays a higher hourly rate than required by law, but does not include holiday and sick pay and penalty rates for part time and casual staff.
Staff will vote on the new agreement this week. The new agreement offers similar conditions to the 2005 agreement, but it withdraws guaranteed hours.
Mr. Price has refused to negotiate conditions. The Unite union, which is leading the campaign on behalf of the workers, claims Mr. Price is taking advantage of his employees’ youth.
Unite Secretary Anthony Main said Award conditions were common in the industry and should be applied in this situation.
“It’s disappointing that Mr. Price makes his money off the backs of young people but refuses to pay them properly,” Mr. Main said. “just like anyones else who works antisocial hours, these workers just want to be compensated appropriately. If he wants to choose to deny his workers penalty rates, then perhaps people will choos more carefully where they shop.”
A 17-year-old employee, who did not want to be named, said the agreement on offer was unfair. “People are standing up for their rights,” she said. “It’s outrageous. We’re hoping everyone will vote no; that should send a clear enough signal to him.”
Baker Delight spokeswoman Philippa Elder said work agreements were solely between franchisees and their employees.
“Each bakery can have its own agreement,” she said. “We support our franchisees and staff to work harmoniously together to work out what is best for everyone.”
Ms. Elder said if the workers rejected the agreement, the bargaining process would start again. She said any agreement must comply with Fair Work Australia and would not disadvantage employees.
Mr. Price did not return calls to comment by the time H & DVW went to press.
Diamond Valley Leader:
Right to decent crust by St Helena workers
by Sarah Dailey
JUNIOR staff from three local Baker’s Delight stores have protested against “unfair” working conditions and the use of video surveillance.
Bakery employees, who are mostly secondary school students, organised the protest last Wednesday at the St Helena shop, rallying to change their workplace agreement, which does not include penalty rates, sick leave or holiday pay.
UNITE Union, which supports fast food and retail workers, helped arrange the protest and a Facebook site has also been set up to boost the campaign.
A 17-year-old employee from St Helena, who did not want her named published, said staff found the negotiation process with their employer, Wayne Price, intimidating.
She said the staff had not received any safety training and were under constant camera surveillance.
“He watches us over surveillance and then calls up and yells at us, or gets managers to yell at us,” she said.
Mr Price, who owns Bakers Delight stores in St Helena, Diamond Creek and Laurimar, would not comment and referred the DV Leader to Bakers Delight head office.
Company spokeswoman Philippa Elder said franchises operated as individual businesses and negotiated their own workplace conditions.
Mr Price has offered staff a nominal increase in the base rate in lieu of penalty rates, sick leave and holiday pay.