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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/feb/03/coalition-is-scapegoating-spc-ardmona-in-a-union-witch-hunt-says-liberal-mp
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| Coalition is scapegoating SPC Ardmona in a union witch-hunt, says Liberal MP | Coalition is scapegoating SPC Ardmona in a union witch-hunt, says Liberal MP |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| The government is “scapegoating” SPC Ardmona and exaggerating “piffling” issues in the companies’ enterprise agreement to draw the struggling fruit manufacturer into a “union witch-hunt”, the Coalition backbencher Sharman Stone has said. | The government is “scapegoating” SPC Ardmona and exaggerating “piffling” issues in the companies’ enterprise agreement to draw the struggling fruit manufacturer into a “union witch-hunt”, the Coalition backbencher Sharman Stone has said. |
| But the treasurer, Joe Hockey, declared cabinet’s decision last week refusing SPC’s request for $25m to help retool its Shepparton fruit canning plant showed that under the Coalition “the age of entitlement is over and the age of personal responsibility has begun”. | But the treasurer, Joe Hockey, declared cabinet’s decision last week refusing SPC’s request for $25m to help retool its Shepparton fruit canning plant showed that under the Coalition “the age of entitlement is over and the age of personal responsibility has begun”. |
| He told ABC radio in Brisbane that Coca-Cola Amatil, which owns SPC Ardmona, was an “incredibly successful” and “profitable” company but “even by their own admission they haven’t run it properly”. | He told ABC radio in Brisbane that Coca-Cola Amatil, which owns SPC Ardmona, was an “incredibly successful” and “profitable” company but “even by their own admission they haven’t run it properly”. |
| “The bottom line for us is they were asking the taxpayers for $50m to buy new plant and equipment … so Coca-Cola Amatil could make a larger profit,” Hockey said, as he campaigned for next weekend’s byelection in the Brisbane seat of Griffith. | “The bottom line for us is they were asking the taxpayers for $50m to buy new plant and equipment … so Coca-Cola Amatil could make a larger profit,” Hockey said, as he campaigned for next weekend’s byelection in the Brisbane seat of Griffith. |
| “This is not the proper use of taxpayers’ money, this is the decision the cabinet came to. Everyone in Australia must do the heavy lifting now.” | “This is not the proper use of taxpayers’ money, this is the decision the cabinet came to. Everyone in Australia must do the heavy lifting now.” |
| Tony Abbott and several ministers have pointed to “perks” and “excessive” provisions in SPC’s enterprise agreement, including a “wet” allowance and a “food preservers’ picnic day” holiday the Monday before Melbourne Cup day. | Tony Abbott and several ministers have pointed to “perks” and “excessive” provisions in SPC’s enterprise agreement, including a “wet” allowance and a “food preservers’ picnic day” holiday the Monday before Melbourne Cup day. |
| But Stone, the member for the seat of Murray which includes Shepparton, said the provisions were “piffling” and “add up at most to a few thousand dollars when the company has been losing millions at the plant because of the broader economic conditions and because of the government’s policies.” | But Stone, the member for the seat of Murray which includes Shepparton, said the provisions were “piffling” and “add up at most to a few thousand dollars when the company has been losing millions at the plant because of the broader economic conditions and because of the government’s policies.” |
| The “wet” allowance, she said, had only ever been paid to workers who provided their own protective “space suits” to be worn when using caustic soda to clean the plant. It had not been paid for at least two years, since the company began providing the safety suits. And the extra holiday at Melbourne Cup time was because workers had agreed to take a day in the “down season” for fruit canning in lieu of extra hours accumulated during the year. | The “wet” allowance, she said, had only ever been paid to workers who provided their own protective “space suits” to be worn when using caustic soda to clean the plant. It had not been paid for at least two years, since the company began providing the safety suits. And the extra holiday at Melbourne Cup time was because workers had agreed to take a day in the “down season” for fruit canning in lieu of extra hours accumulated during the year. |
| “The government is scapegoating the company … denigrating a good company ... and trying to link it to a witch-hunt against the unions rather than face up to the real problems which are the continuing high dollar, the failure of our anti-dumping regime and the failure to properly safety test competing products that come in from overseas.” | “The government is scapegoating the company … denigrating a good company ... and trying to link it to a witch-hunt against the unions rather than face up to the real problems which are the continuing high dollar, the failure of our anti-dumping regime and the failure to properly safety test competing products that come in from overseas.” |
| “There are some rogue unions, especially in the building industry, but it is not fair to scapegoat SPC to distract from the government’s own decisions and the real problems in the economy,” she said. | |
| Hockey said enterprise agreements “come down to the partnership between employers and employees, if that is what they negotiate. Do not come to the government asking for other taxpayers’ money when those enterprises fail.” | Hockey said enterprise agreements “come down to the partnership between employers and employees, if that is what they negotiate. Do not come to the government asking for other taxpayers’ money when those enterprises fail.” |
| The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, just returned from an overseas trip, is travelling to Shepparton on Monday to tour the factory and speak to workers. Coca-Cola Amatil is expected to make a decision about the future of the factory on 17 February. About 3,000 jobs in the Goulburn valley depend on SPC. The company is not commenting on the ongoing public discussion of its workplace arrangements.At the time of the cabinet decision last week, the chief executive, Terry Davis said: “The government decision is disappointing in light of the fact that SPC Ardmona had presented to both the federal and Victorian governments a solid business case for a one-off co-investment of $25m each with CCA committing to a significant and much greater investment of more than $90m.” | The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, just returned from an overseas trip, is travelling to Shepparton on Monday to tour the factory and speak to workers. Coca-Cola Amatil is expected to make a decision about the future of the factory on 17 February. About 3,000 jobs in the Goulburn valley depend on SPC. The company is not commenting on the ongoing public discussion of its workplace arrangements.At the time of the cabinet decision last week, the chief executive, Terry Davis said: “The government decision is disappointing in light of the fact that SPC Ardmona had presented to both the federal and Victorian governments a solid business case for a one-off co-investment of $25m each with CCA committing to a significant and much greater investment of more than $90m.” |
| “This was to be invested in best-in-class technology for both new product development and for efficiency gains to enable the transformation of the production facility in the Goulburn valley into a modern, high-tech food company, utilising clean, green Australian-grown fruit and vegetables.” | “This was to be invested in best-in-class technology for both new product development and for efficiency gains to enable the transformation of the production facility in the Goulburn valley into a modern, high-tech food company, utilising clean, green Australian-grown fruit and vegetables.” |
| Announcing the decision to refuse SPC’s request for co-funding last week Abbott said: “I would invite you to have a flick through the existing enterprise bargaining agreement which, as I said, is way in excess of the award. | Announcing the decision to refuse SPC’s request for co-funding last week Abbott said: “I would invite you to have a flick through the existing enterprise bargaining agreement which, as I said, is way in excess of the award. |
| “There are wet allowances, there are loadings on top of overtime, there is the ability to cash out sick pay. You get two weeks’ redundancy for every six months of service up to 104 weeks. | “There are wet allowances, there are loadings on top of overtime, there is the ability to cash out sick pay. You get two weeks’ redundancy for every six months of service up to 104 weeks. |
| “This is a pretty an extraordinary EBA and the company admits that in the past this hasn’t been well handled.” | “This is a pretty an extraordinary EBA and the company admits that in the past this hasn’t been well handled.” |