A factory occupation in Melbourne’s south-east is continuing. Around 50 workers at International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) in Dandenong South have been holding a sit-in in their canteen since 6am this morning. IFF is a global company with operations in 30 countries, making artificial flavours and smells for the food and cosmetic industries. 

Red Flag spoke with National Union of Workers delegate Mark Cameron about what’s happening. “We came here this morning and they’d locked us out”, he says. “Much to their surprise, when the gates opened, we all charged in there and got into the canteen. We’ve been there ever since.”

The workers are bargaining for a new enterprise agreement. The company issued lock-out notices last week. Mark says that it has so far refused to make a genuine offer on wages. Instead, the company offered a pay increase of 50 cents an hour. “We’ve tried to bargain as best we can, in all fairness, and they’re just not prepared to budge.

“They’ve said to us, ‘You want a pay rise? But how do we become more productive?’”In response, Mark explains, union members said: “Look that’s not something that we should be dealing with. That’s your job.”

The company is also going after conditions. Mark lists breaks and personal leave as being in management’s sites. “We don’t want to change our conditions for the worse”, he says. “Over the years we’ve fought for the conditions that we have … They want to take everything away but they want to give us as little as possible.”

 Mark says the workers inside the factory are feeling positive and that the union is strong at the site. “We just want a bit more respect from the company.”

 “They’re quite solid in what they believe in and nothing’s going to change their mind – we just want the company to talk to us.

“Other unions and union members around Melbourne, Victoria and Australia will understand exactly what we’re talking about. We will not be pushed around and bullied”, he says.

“We just want a bit of respect from our bosses. That’s it at the end of the day.”

[Messages of solidarity can be left at the National Union of Workers Facebook page.]