By Stephen O'Brien
NEWCASTLE — National Textile workers have vowed to continue their fight to win their full entitlements after their January 21 sacking, even at the risk of being jailed. The workers, some of whom have up to 46 years experience, are owed just over $11 million by the company.
A picket line has been set up at the Rutherford mill to prevent the removal by the company of valuable plant and equipment. Individuals and businesses from the local community — bakeries, taxi drivers, real estate agents, building societies, butchers, farmers and even McDonald's — have responded generously to support the picketers with food and cash donations.
The minister for workplace relations, Peter Reith, has repeatedly ruled out government backing for the 300 workers' claim.
National Textile's receiver, appointed after the mill closed on January 21, has announced that the workers will have to wait up to two years to receive half of their redundancy packages and payments in lieu of notice. This offer has been rejected by the workers.
The workers placed banners outside the creditors' meeting at Newcastle Workers Club on January 28 which read "Where have the assets gone?", "Peter hasn't sent a wreath", "Save our entitlements" and "Oakdale all over again". Coalminers at the Oakdale mine were put in a similar position in June when the mine closed and management initially refused to fund their redundancy payments.
In 1990, the National Textiles mill at Rutherford, just outside Maitland, was the centrepiece of a textile and clothing industry that employed more than 3000 workers in the lower Hunter region. Following the removal of tariff protection in 1991 by the federal Labour government, plants such as Rundles, Bradmill, King Gee and now National Textiles have all closed down.
PM John Howard, whose brother Stan is the chairperson of National Textiles, has "commiserated" by claiming that the closure is "bad luck" or the result of "economics".