With the adoption of the Family Leave Package Agreement between the SRA and the NSW Labor Council, which severely cutback workers' rights to take sickies, the bosses have been greatly aided in their campaign of .harassment. This agreement particularly provides penalty clauses for sickie taking which the bosses regard as unacceptable, and will be used to drive off the job those workers the bosses don't like or have had their health undermined by the speed up and constant forced overtime and long shifts. To avoid dying on the job,one grade 1 clerk at Hornsby is currently resigning.
The manager of Hornsby has particularly been having a field day with this new sellout deal. He has been calling everyone into his office over the issue of sickies. The manager has also been busying himself with various sub committees, and has had no time to assist staff with on the job problems.
FLEMINGTON DEPOT NEWSClerks at Flemington depot were recently able to win the upgrading to clerk grade 3 of their positions. To achieve this goal, they resorted to direct action. They gave management 72 hours notice that they would resume their grade 1 duties if they were not paid grade 3 money for this work. Within a week, the bosses had stopped stalling and had put the relevant signatures on forms for their upgrading.