Victory at Australian Dyeing Company
By Maurice Sibelle
MELBOURNE — After 67 days on the picket line, 80 locked-out workers at the Australian Dyeing Company won a major victory on February 5. ADC management agreed to a 10% wage rise over two years, $200 back pay and no sackings, victimisation or harassment of workers who have been active in the union.
The company was also forced to agree that all textile industry award conditions will be protected for the life of the agreement. The length of the agreement will be decided in the Industrial Relations Commission along with the union's claim for a redundancy package and a retirement package which recognises the contribution of long-serving workers.
The significance of the victory goes beyond the details of the agreement, Michele O'Neil, assistant secretary of the Victorian branch of the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union, explained. "What is important is that it is a union agreement. There are no individual contracts at the Australian Dyeing Company."
The owners of ADC were after more than a reduction of wages and conditions for the TCFUA members. The owners spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on security cameras, security guards and barristers to break the workers and their union. It would have been cheaper for them to agree to the modest claims.
The workers "can return to work with pride and dignity, with their heads held high. The employers did not expect them to last one week", O'Neil told Green Left Weekly.
"It's an example and an inspiration for all workers in our industry and outside. We can never underestimate the capacity of the members to withstand enormous pressures, stick together and do what it takes to win."
O'Neil said the solidarity by other workers was vital. Tens of thousands of dollars were raised at other textile work places, in other industries and in the general community.
Most important were the 6am pickets, attended by hundreds every morning, which began when the factory attempted to open on January 11. No scabs have been allowed into the factory since.
Trades Hall organised a roster of trade unions to bolster the picket. Community groups, including student unions and a residents' action group, also staffed the picket. Students from the Victorian TAFE Students and Apprentices Network organised a contingent on the last day of the dispute.
Hundreds of supporters gathered to cheer the ADC workers and their officials at a celebration on February 5 at Comrades Bar. "Solidarity Forever" was sung with passion as unionists from all over Melbourne shared a collective victory. A celebration barbecue was held on the picket on February 6.
"The lesson is not to underestimate what workers will do when faced with injustice. The workers at ADC have shown an enormous capacity to fight back against a conservative government and laws. The workers at ADC have expressed their desire to be a part of broader struggles and are very determined to extend their solidarity to other workers", O'Neil said.