Workers rally outside Toyota. 80482 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By VANESSA CHIRCOP
THE Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union filed action in the Federal Court last week to seek the reinstatement of 12 workers sacked for their union activity at Toyota.
The lawyer representing the workers, Josh Bornstein of Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, said the workers were subjected to targeted and unlawful discrimination.
“There is a stench in the way Toyota has gone about these sackings and there is a stench in the way redundancy criteria was misused to target particular employees for dismissal,” Mr Bornstein said.
“When we have workers who have given nearly two decades of their life to the company being told by their manager on the day of the sackings ‘I told you, you shouldn’t have been a union rep’, it is clearly wrong and in breach of Fair Work Australia laws.”
AMWU Vehicles Division Assistant National Secretary David Smith said the union had taken the action to ensure the workers received justice.
He said the treatment of unionised workers and health and safety representatives was disgusting and could have wider ramifications.
Meanwhile more than 150 people rallied outside the Altona plant last Tuesday morning to voice their anger at Toyota.
Toyota has vigorously denied claims they targeted workers for their union activity.
“Toyota Australia has been acting in accordance with its agreement with the union and will be defending the claims lodged with the Federal Court.”
“Despite the allegations made by the union, seven per cent of those made redundant were union representatives or health and safety officers.
“These employee representative roles will be re-elected from the remaining workforce in accordance with the enterprise agreement and relevant legislation.”
