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:
Say ‘NO’ to low pay, insecurity, and undermining industry standards!
Very soon Bakers Delight workers at St Helena, Diamond Creek and Laurimar will have to vote on a whether to accept a new workplace agreement. Unfortunately Bakers Delight has a history of trying to take advantage of young workers. In 2005 they were one of the first companies to use John Howard’s IR laws to undermine Award conditions. The current agreement is a legacy of this time and is one of the worst in Australia.
We don’t want to see something similar get through again. UNITE has produced this leaflet to make sure you know exactly what you are voting for.
UNITE wholeheartedly supports YUN’s upcoming National Day of Action against youth rates in Melbourne on November 21st, 1pm at the State Library.
The concept of youth rates is nothing more than discrimination on the basis of age. The simple reason that bosses pay young workers such low wages is to cut costs in order to boost profits.
The arguments used by bosses to pay young people less than a full wage are the same as the arguments used by bosses in the past in favour of paying women less than men. It was only through organising women into unions and fighting that we achieved equal pay for women. A similar fight needs to be waged today by young people.
Support Bakers Delight workers in St Helena, Diamond Creek and Laurimar!
After the positive response we have received from Bakers Delight customers and after speaking to workers, parents and other locals, we have decided to organise a community protest in support of the Bakers Delight workers who are campaigning for better wages and conditions.
Please come along. The details are: 3pm Wednesday 4th November @ St Helena Marketplace, 214 Aqueduct Road St Helena.