Toyota
Material Handling has been fined almost $50,000 for pressuring three workers to
sign workplace contracts.
The Newcastle
Herald reports that aluminium smelter technicians at Kurri Kurri were told they’d
be taken off their continuous shift roster if they didn’t sign on to new
agreements.
According
to the report, Federal Circuit Court judge Kenneth Raphael ruled that a “substantial loss of earnings”
of between $500 and $600 would have been suffered by the workers if they were
taken off the roster, with Raphael saying that the conduct of Toyota Material
Handling was “unconscionable or illegitimate”.
The ruling came after complaints to and an investigation by the Fair Work Ombudsman.
“Given the large number of employees on the payroll of TMH it
is important that the company understand its obligations and that it
appreciates that if it contravenes the relevant workplace laws, it will be
subjected to penalties for doing so,” said Raphael.