Mars to finalise EBA for Ballarat workers

By Tim O'Connor
Updated November 2 2012 - 7:13pm, first published February 16 2012 - 1:19pm
Mars to finalise EBA for Ballarat workers
Mars to finalise EBA for Ballarat workers

WORKERS at Mars Chocolate Australia’s Ballarat site will vote on a new enterprise bargaining agreement next week.Mars hopes the vote will end months of negotiations with unions, which began in May last year.During the process, which has involved a commissioner at Fair Work Australia, strike action has been taken by Ballarat members.Mars general manager Michael Ryan said workers had voted down further industrial action at the site. “We have been listening to our people and many of them have told us that industrial action has had a negative impact on them and they would like us to now put the EBA to them again so that they can have their say,” Mr Ryan said.“We are pleased associates voted against further industrial action as it would only further hinder our discussions rather than progress them.”Mr Ryan said Mars had a “long-term commitment” to Ballarat.“(We) want to invest further in the business, but to do this we need to be responsible and not accept unreasonable and unsustainable costs. We need to remain competitive and financially healthy in a tough global environment,” he said.“We recognise the valuable contribution that our people make to our business and we want to get back to working together to grow our great business.“We hope this vote will provide the certainty associates are looking for and secure the generous pay and conditions we currently provide and the enhanced provisions we have offered.”Australian Manufacturing Workers Union representative Colin Muir said workers would be instructed to vote against the new agreement.“We will be certainly putting some info out to members and non-members to vote ‘no’. We don’t believe that it’s a reasonable offer from the company,” Mr Muir said.“It’s not about money, it’s about process and principle.“(Workers) voted it down once already, and we’re asking them to vote it down again.”The vote will be put to workers on Wednesday and Thursday.

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