31st July 2003   PAUL DAVEY'S APPOINTMENT TO THE PRIMESAFE BOARD   AMIEU Assistant Secretary Paul Davey has been appointed to the new statutory authority that has replaced the Victorian Meat Authority (VMA).   The new authority is now called PrimeSafe.  It has the responsibility for overseeing activities throughout the meat, poultry and seafood industries. The appointment by the Brack's Government of Paul Davey to the PrimSafe Board, recognises both the ability of Paul Davey, and the role that his Union plays within the Victorian food industry, and the meat industry in particular.  Paul Davey's appointment brings an expertise to the PrimeSafe Board in areas that have been neglected for 10 years.   The PrimeSafe Board consists of:             Mr John Watson  Chairperson, Previous Chair of the VMA             Mr Bill Bray - Primary Producer             Dr  John Carnie  - Deputy Chief Health Officer at the Dept of Human Services             Mr  Paul Davey             Mr  Mark Gooley - General Manager Austrimi Seafoods             Ms Vicki Hardwick - Director, Hardwicks Meatworks             Mr John Harris - Managing Director, Castle Bacon             Mr Patrick McCaffrey -  Regional Manager, Bartter Enterprises             Dr Andrew Vizard - Associate Professor, Veterinary Epidemiology                    University Of Melbourne             Mr James Ralph -  Director, J.H. Ralph & Sons Meat Company.   The appointment is for 4 years. ENQUIRY INTO LABOUR HIRE The Victorian Government has announced an enquiry into Labour Hire.  The enquiry will examine all aspects of the Labour Hire business. An aspect of the enquiry will be 'use of labour hire in particular industries and/or regions. Application of industrial relations, Occupational Health & Safety, and Worker's Compensation legislation'.   This is of particular interest to the meat industry.  A number of companies are using Labour Hire Companies, not to supply casual labour that it may require from time to time, but to operate as the employer of the entire workforce.   This is the current arrangement at Kyle Road, Altona Nth., where ESP Tecforce employs the labour it supplies to another Company, Larberg, which in turn manages the  workers who work in a workplace with equipment owned by 2 different companies both of which are ultimately controlled by the Joe Catalfamo.  A large percentage of the stock purchased is owned by Coles who are contracted to another Catalfamo Company, Belandra.   The Union is presently awaiting the decision of the Federal Court to determine whether  these arrangements are an elaborate disguise to overcome requirements of Enterprise Agreements.   Workers are normally considerably disadvantaged by the use of labour hire firms.  There is no security of employment, and conditions are inevitably substandard.  Those operating the workplaces remain in effective control, but are able to by pass many of their normal obligations.   Wodonga, Pacific Meats and Yarrawonga  are among others whose entire or majority workplace is employed through labour hire companies.   These labour hire arrangements currently allow widespread exploitation of the workforce, and clearly disadvantages the honest employer by minimising wages and conditions and providing little incentive to promote Occupational Health & Safety.   The AMIEU will be making a submission to the enquiry.  We will also play a lead role in the submissions which is to be made by the Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC).  Any workers who wish to assist should notify the Union. NATIONAL WAGE INCREASE The recently awarded $17.00 per week national wage increase applies to all workers who are covered by the Federal Meat Processing, Smallgoods or Retail Wholesale Awards. It will also flow to workers who are currently not covered by an Award or Agreement.  That is those whose employer is not a member of the National Meat Association (NMA) or whose employer has not entered into Agreement with the Union, or has its workplace on Australian Workplace Agreements (AWA). It will apply from 3rd August 2003. Members need to understand that the $17.00 wage increase is not granted by the Howard Government.  It is a decision of  the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) after a case is put to it by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) funded by all affiliated Unions including the AMIEU.  IT WAS OPPOSED BY HOWARD AND ABBOTT.   In fact the Howard Government has opposed every national Wage increase argued for by the ACTU.  So has the National Meat Association. WOOLWORTHS/SAFEWAYS Safeways have recently applied to have a clause in their current Agreement altered. Safeways have sought to have the rate of pay for work on a public holiday which falls on a weekend reduced by the amount of the Saturday & Sunday penalty.  The Union believes that this is not what was agreed at the last negotiation.  It is our belief that the quantum of the public holiday penalty dropped from 300% - 250%, but that all other penalties remained as they were. We have defended this position in the  AIRC where the matter came before Sen. Deputy President Kaufman on 22 & 23 July 2003.   He has reserved his decision.    The Union will fight this matter for as long as it takes to preserve the integrity of the Agreement.