NSW: Tristar challenges workers to pick up tools

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2007
NSW: Tristar challenges workers to pick up tools

SYDNEY, Feb 1 AAP - Sydney car parts maker Tristar Steering and Suspension has challenged
its thirty-five employees seeking redundancy payouts to start work.

The company, which has slashed its workforce by 90 per cent during restructuring, maintains
its Marrickville factory is operational and therefore its workers are not entitled to
redundancy payouts.

Industrial Relations Minister Joe Hockey, who this week failed to persuade Tristar
to pay out the 35 workers, has said he is sceptical about the company's claims about the
plant.

The workers are reportedly being paid to go into work and listen to the radio and read
the paper until a redundancy agreement promising them four week's pay for each year of
service expires.

Tristar said in a statement today that there was two years of work at the plant reconditioning
existing stock but workers were refusing to do it.

"Tristar will not close down the business when there is work to be done," the statement said.

"The question for the union and the workers is whether they will work.

"Will they comply with legally sanctioned directions from Tristar to commence work
on re-manufacturing?"

The Australian Industrial Relations Commission this month approved the right for Tristar
to have workers conduct re-manufacturing work.

The company said it had been forced to bring in contractors to clean and dismantle
equipment in the re-organisation of the Marrickville plant, expected to be up and running
next week, as workers refused to help.

Separate to these negotiations, the company caved in to pressure from politicians and
the media, agreeing to pay a $50,000 voluntary redundancy to former accounts manager John
Beaven before he died of cancer last week.

AAP sk/ks

KEYWORD: TRISTAR

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.