NSW: Armoured car drivers stop work action tomorrow

AAP General News (Australia)
04-08-2001
NSW: Armoured car drivers stop work action tomorrow

SYDNEY, April 8 AAP - A cash shortage could result from industrial action under consideration
by the New South Wales armoured car industry, the Transport Workers Union said today.

Armoured car drivers concerned about declining industry safety standards today rallied
at Sydney's Trades Hall to discuss future action.

They highlighted concerns over workplace safety watchdog, WorkCover's, failure to maintain
adequate industry safety standards.

TWU state secretary Tony Sheldon said stopwork meetings would be held at several sites
tomorrow, with cash-in-transit workers also planning to take their concerns directly to
WorkCover.

At the stopwork meetings further industrial action will be considered.

"One person in a courier van with little or, in some cases, no training whatsoever
is now carrying out work once handled by four armoured crew," Mr Sheldon said.

"The practice has been going on since Chubb was awarded a contract by Westpac and there
is a major contract coming out for three banks in the next two weeks and we expect that
the same recipe will be followed.

"The dispute is leading towards a cash shortage."

Meanwhile, about 400 people attended the NSW Labor Council's injured workers' forum
at Granville Town Hall.

The forum included the launch of a video campaign, which starts in workplaces tomorrow
and could be broadened to a television campaign.

Council secretary Michael Costa said the forum turnout highlighted anger in the community
over proposed workers compensation changes.

"It is clear the community is not convinced at all that the government is heading in
the right direction," he said.

"At a minimum, the government hasn't been able to convince workers they won't be worse
off under the changes."

The government has introduced a bill to parliament aimed at reducing a $2.2 billion
deficit in the compensation scheme by encouraging injured workers not to take their disputes
to courts.

It has met widespread condemnation from unions, including the TWU and the Construction,
Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), which last week pledged a mass walk out of
"tens of thousands" of workers on April 19.

Negotiations between unions and Industrial Relations Minister John Della Bosca will
resume at 9am tomorrow.

TWU members are expected to stage a repeat performance of last week's demonstration
at WorkCover's Sydney offices.

AAP las/md/de r

KEYWORD: ARMOURED

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