BY TERRICA STRUDWICK
ROCKHAMPTON — The Queensland branch of the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia has urged nurses to strike in opposition to a $15 million contract for the manufacture of up to 18,000 nurse uniforms over five years, which has been awarded to Melbourne company Neat N' Trim.
Many clothing industry figures are angry with the government for contradicting its own Outworker Code of Practice agreement as well as its "Queensland companies first" purchasing policy. Neat N' Trim has been charged twice for breaches of the Outworker Code of Practice that covers outworkers, contractors and sub-contractors. It is illegal for a company to bid in a tender if it has not signed the Outworker Code of Practice.
At the time the tender was offered, in 2001, Neat N' Trim was not registered. They registered in April this year. The company was charged with 10 breaches that included not keeping records of outsourced labour and failing to pay workers award conditions. The same company was charged with the same breaches in 1999. Neat N' Trim also runs factories in Indonesia, using highly exploited workers.
Uniform Management Services, a company that bid for the tender, may have to sack up to 40 workers because Neat N' Trim were able to offer a much cheaper bid that landed them the contract. It is claimed the Queensland government will save up to $620,000 a year by granting the contract to Neat N' Trim.
The Queensland Nurses Union was unavailable to comment on whether it would support strike action.
From Green Left Weekly, November 20, 2002.
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