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Small wineries to face union pressure on wages
5 Aug 2003
Hundreds of small Victorian wineries are facing a union campaign to increase the wages of casual vineyard workers. The wineries say the push by the Australian Workers' Union will lead to job losses, business failures and takeovers by big conglomerates.
The AWU has served a log of claims on 384 of Victoria's 461 wine companies and asked the Industrial Relations Commission to ensure that all Victorian wineries comply with new federal laws allowing winery workers to earn an average rate of $18.75 per hour. Workers earn a base wage of $481 a week to a maximum of $542.
Peter Ferguson, president of the Yarra Valley Wine Growers' Association, conceded that workers deserve a fair go but said the proposals will "cripple the industry". It would result in jobs being swapped for mechanisation, changing the way small wineries operate in Victoria and making them more attractive to big operators.
The Victorian Employer Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the push for penalty rates and improved wages is a "bombshell". Until recently, the AWU exempted wineries that produced fewer than 500 tonnes of grapes a year from the federal wine industry award, but this exemption has now been removed.
The Age, 5/8/03.
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