On 15 December last year, Schweppes locked out 150 workers at its Tullamarine bottling plant in Melbourne. Just days before Christmas, the company joined Qantas and POAGS stevedoring in aggressively throwing their workers out in response to actions like stop work meetings, overtime bans and a one day strike.
The limited industrial action that the workers had carried out was essentially a defensive action against Schweppes’ attempts to introduce new rosters. The company has been demanding that any new enterprise bargaining agreement has to include the introduction of a 12-hour day. Not only that, they want to wind back overtime penalty rates and introducing a compulsory Saturday shift.
The union planned to escalate industrial action with rolling strikes. As soon as Schweppes got wind of it, the lockout began. One worker explained the way it happened, “We had our stop work meeting and then we went for a cigarette where we were told that we couldn’t go back to work. We were locked out, and could only go back in individually with security guards to get our belongings.” The workers were thus left with no income over Christmas.
The lockout was designed to invite (un)Fair Work, the Labor government’s industrial relations tribunal, to impose forced arbitration. The company wanted to force the workers back to the production lines under a new EBA on Schweppes’ terms. That strategy failed, so, in an attempt to stave people into submission, the lockout has continued.
For the first four days workers maintained a picket line, stopping distribution trucks and busloads of scabs from getting into the plant. This action was essential to winning the dispute. If Schweppes can maintain production with the use of scabs, their profits will keep rolling in, and there will be no reason for them to give in to the workers’ demands.
Unfortunately, United Voice organisers dismantled the picket line, saying it was illegal and would put them out of step with Fair Work. They instead pursued negotiations with management, saying that the legal road was necessary. Scabs and supplies have been able to move in and out relatively freely.
Even with that setback, the workers have maintained a protest next to the gates of the plant. Their unity is still strong. After six and a half weeks of the lockout, in a cynical strategy of divide and rule, Schweppes offered $5,000 dollars to the first ten workers who went back to work. So far, not one has taken the offer, even though many have crippling bills and mortgage repayments.
They have received wide support from the community, with people arriving with food and drink. Unions such as the NUW also sent delegates to Tullamarine to give material support to the locked out workers.
There will be further negotiations between the United Voice and Schweppes, whilst the workers are continuing their protest at the gates. They welcome visitors who come to show solidarity.
The Schweppes plant is located in Beverage Drive, Tullamarine.
