BY BRONWEN BEECHEY
ADELAIDE — Radio Rentals has locked out 40 technicians, members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, over a long-running pay dispute. The technicians have been demanding a 5% pay rise, which would be their first since 1997.
Wayne Avion, a technician who has worked 21 years for the company, told 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, "The company is now making a good profit, but management is only offering a 3% pay rise over two years, plus they want to replace our current redundancy package with a one-off lump sum payment equal to 3% of one year's salary — approximately $100,000."
"Management have refused to make any effort to conciliate or negotiate, they've said that they have made their offer and are not prepared to budge", he said.
The technicians began industrial action in June but were forced into the Industrial Relations Commission by management. The IRC then ordered a secret ballot of members, who voted 56-6 against the company's offer. The workers also began a regular Thursday night picket outside Radio Rental's head office and main store on busy Main North Road in Prospect.
Workers then called a stopwork meeting on January 9 to consider proposals to escalate their campaign. Before the AMWU had officially notified management of the meeting's outcomes, the company stood down the technicians, ordering them to surrender company mobile phones and keys to their service vans, and locked them out of their workshop.
The workers responded to the lockout by establishing pickets at the Prospect store and at the company's distribution centre at Wingfield.
One worker received injuries to his wrist when a manager drove his car through the picket line. Management at both sites called the police, who prevented workers from blocking company trucks leaving the warehouse. Radio Rentals management have also threatened legal action against the workers.
The workers plan to meet again after they resume work on January 15.