Solidarity with the Baiada workers: Coles Flash Mob

[hansenyue]

lmao Coles Store managers being paid 500K a year. i don't think so missy.

[franzfaramir]

Awesome :) Solidarity forever!

[JeremyPBreen]

Yes there is proof. After the event the security guard parked his car round the corner and was speaking to a community member who is a supporter of the workers.

The guard was understandably upset, and said he was an independant security contractor who did not work at Baiada, who was told to drive through, and told any damage would be reimbursed. None of the actual workers have ever seen him.

And you should occupy a bit of civility

[JeremyPBreen]

This man was paid to drive his car at striking workers, and told the company would reimburse any damage. When he did that some people got angry and hit him. When his keys were taken off him, he AGAIN tried to drive over the workers at Baiada.

Please people, can we talk about the real issues at Baiada, appalling OHS, low wages, rampant contracts and unfairness, and bullying and harassment, not the actions of a paid provocateur who was unfortunately successful at his job?

[LibCon00]

@JeremyPBreen any proof for that outrageous statement? I don't think so, you complete idiot saying something like that "oh the company paid this guy to run people over!" occupy reality mate.

[TheRubyShoesMusic]

no kfc for me

[ucwepn]

Good stuff guys my family wont be buying any more Lilydale chickens.

[mars10115]

Thats the best protest I ever seen! Im a worker and I support you all. :-)

[LibCon00]

are they in solidarity with the disgusting Union thugs who attacked employees and who brutally set upon a hapless security guard simply driving his car to his job too?

[ObamaNarwhal]

@LibCon00

Hang on, wouldn't driving his car to work include driving his car over the top of said union officials? I mean, I'd be pretty upset too, if someone tried to run me over.

[LibCon00]

@ObamaNarwhal bout as upset as I'd be if some guy climbed into my car to beat the shit out of me for trying to drive to work. he's a security guard not a plant worker, his union is not on strike he's just trying to get to his jobsite, his car moves a few inches at a very slow speed, maybe telling the union layabouts "don't stand in front of cars" is a good idea?

[ObamaNarwhal]

@LibCon00

Well, that's the thing about having a picket line, standing around in front of cars is the entire point.

Aren't we getting a bit too caught up in what a handful of guys did, though? I mean, even if some of them did harass the security guard, the reasons they are striking are still - in my opinion - valid. If you think cash-in-hand payment below the minimum wage and multiple deaths on the job aren't something to be upset about, I'd like to hear your reasoning.

[LibCon00]

@ObamaNarwhal handful of guys with union hats and flags firmly on heads and in hands, it has to be said. I'm all for the right to strike and fair working conditions, but the guy in the car isn't IN their union nor does he work for Baiada, they contract out their security to security firms, his union is not on strike, the conditions of the factory are nothing to him, he's just trying to get into his jobsite, instead his keys are stolen, he's bashed, car smashed up and he's chased off by the thugs

[ObamaNarwhal]

@LibCon00

You're missing the point here. Some dickhead almost running over a group of people and having his keys stolen is obscuring the issue of why those people were there in the first place. Why is this the most important thing to talk about in relation to the strike?

[LibCon00]

@ObamaNarwhal hardly "almost running over" anybody and it's just interesting to see that the classic union bully boy tactics and violence against "scabs" has returned to picket lines in force, and that these idiots chose to protest at a supermarket instead of at the plant, working in a supermarket as I do I can imagine the annoyance and disruption these fools were causing, making the staff's already busy day more stressful and upsetting the customers

[cromlek]

@LibCon00 there were no union thugs, dickhead. It was a worker who hit him. the union guys were trying to take the keys so as to stop the car from hurting anymore people. That fucking security guard broke someones arm when he did that. He deserved a punch in the head. What kind of low bastard breaks a picket line? Oh, thats right...A SCAB!!!!!

[LibCon00]

@cromlek if you are a worker in a union, then that union stages a picket, then in the course of that picket you climb inside someone's car to bash them in my book (and everyone else's I'd wager) that makes you a union thug. um sorry mate he's not a scab, his union aint on strike, he's a security guard not a baiada plant worker, the picket doesn't mean shit to him he's employed by a company that baiada contracts security work to, not baiada. he was just trying to go to work like a real person

[quietthomas]

Good work guys! Here's hoping the government and media do what they're supposed to.

[RajjGupandajionline]

great work comrades. Never thought i would see a rally inside a store. perhaps this should be done for bds.

[jacqueloma]

Only those store managers who have been with the company for over 15/20 years get paid ANYWHERE near that much. However, many store managers do get paid over 100k a year.

[thejeremystokes]

bit sweaty.....

[franzfaramir]

Love it! :)

[sobrquet]

The Flash mob departed with some going to Trades Hall to pick up cars and go out to the picket line. Its wasn't a march so we all jumped on a tram and half a dozen coppers jumped on the tram behind to follow us, Keystone cops its the new Chief Commisioner's policy NO?

[LibCon00]

@sobrquet no it's more the union movement's well documented history of riots and violence that attract the "keystone cops" to bands of you out among the public