Workers sacked by midnight texts and emails
Unions have called on Mr Abbott to stand up for Australian workers and call out this disgraceful behavior by Hutchison Ports as pickets of Hutchison Ports Australia (HPA) in Sydney and Brisbane enter their fifth day despite the Fair Work Commission to stop industrial action.
The picketing follows HPA's action to sack 97 workers by midnight texts and emails in what the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) claims is part of a deliberate plan to de-unionise its workforce. The union said the company is pursuing a strategy to introduce further automation without any discussion or consultation.
"The pickets are continuing, but it is a community assembly and is not run by the MUA", said the union.
Meanwhile Australian Unions have called on Mr. Abbott to condemn the callous and unjustified midnight sackings. With jobs figures showing that for the first time in twenty years there are more than 800,000 unemployed Australians, Prime Minister Tony Abbott cannot sit back as job losses mount.
