Susan Price, Sydney
Campbelltown carpenter Phil worked for Masterton Homes for more than 26 years. This year the company decided to place him on an individual contract.
Phil refused to lose many of his award rights, including overtime and penalty rates, and requested that a representative from his union, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), come to the next meeting with the company. The next day, Masterton Homes made Phil redundant, leaving him without a job to support his wife and three teenage children.
The CFMEU has launched a campaign to demand Phil's reinstatement, so that he can get back to work and continue supporting his family.
Phil spoke to 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly on July 7 about the short-sightedness of the company. "If a company such as this cuts the wages of working people, how can they expect those same working people to afford to buy their homes?"
With moves afoot by the federal Coalition government to abolish unfair dismissal rights for workers in companies with less than 100 employees, more workers like Phil will be left with very few legal rights and protections, and will be reliant on the strength of trade unions.
The CFMEU has set up a protest near the Masterton Homes display village, on the corner of Hume Highway and Sappho Road, in Warwick Farm. BBQs are being organised every Saturday and Sunday from 9.30am to 4pm. The company uses "family" and "lifestyle" images to promote their display homes, so Phil's supporters will be taking the opportunity to speak to prospective home buyers about the unscrupulous and anti-worker, anti-family practices of the company.
An online campaign site has been set up at , where supporters can download petitions or send an electronic protest letter to Masterton Homes.
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, July 13, 2005.
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