AGL - Accordant Group. was previously AWF Madison, Allied...

[Misc]

Workers want their wages

23.02.2007
LAWRENCE GULLERY
The Department of Labour has been called in to find out why a group of workers employed through Allied Workforce at Heinz-Wattie's had not been paid last week.

The Service and Food Workers Union had asked the Department of Labour to initiate immediate mediation between Allied Workforce and its employees based at the Hastings plant.

It was understood the mediation session was to be held on site in Hastings on Tuesday but Allied Workforce had refused to agree to the meeting.

Mediation was called for after workers had complained to their union representative that their wages had not been paid into their bank accounts on February 15.





Union organiser Thomas O'Neill said yesterday he was still collecting names of those who had not been paid last week. "There are a lot of others who at one time or another weren't paid by Allied Workforce in the past as well," he said.
He hoped the mediation would reveal why the workers were not paid as Allied Workforce had not responded to his attempts to contact the labour contract firm last week.

Mr O'Neil said the mediation process also marked the first step for possible litigation against Allied Workforce, if a resolution could not be met.

"We understand that they (Allied Workforce) had told staff they wouldn't be paid by that week but they would be paid by cheque, but haven't. It's an employment breach of their rights," he said.

"I think people are pretty upset about it because there are a lot of people in Hastings that are dependent on their jobs," he said.

Allied Workforce chief executive Greg Webster said he was aware of the mediation session but believed it was not necessary.

He was adamant all of the workers had been paid. Mr Webster said 36 new workers had been called in at late notice for the evening shift on Sunday, February 11. The problem occurred because there was not enough time to process their wages before the payroll was normally completed the following Tuesday.

He said those workers were told they would be paid by cheque instead, on Thursday, but there were at least six people who were yet to pick up their cheques from Allied Workforce.

Mr Webster said paying workers by cheque was not normal practice and a "one-off" resolution.

One worker, who did not want to be named, said she had no luck gleaning an explanation as to why she had not been paid for her first week working at Heinz-Wattie's, from February 12 to 16. Mr Webster said he was aware there was one "outstanding issue" involving a worker who had not been paid. "She says she was at work but her swipe card indicates she was not.

"It's a matter of getting her supervisor to verify she was at work that day, but at the moment we can't do that, it's a process we have to work through to clarify she was there," he said.

The worker said she had been told at an induction session three weeks ago at Heinz-Wattie's there would be enough continuous work for everyone to April.

"I've been off work this week because they haven't called me, you have to wait until they ring you to come into work. My last day was last Friday," she said.

Mr Webster said, however, workers were told during induction that the nature of the work available was casual.

"You could be working one day and not the next. The tomato season has been put off four times already. It's very casual work, that is the nature of seasonal work," he said.

[hairdresser]

There is probably a very simple explanation for this. I'm sure the company will give an explanation to the market asap.

It is almost certainly not that they may had to very quickly set up an account with another bank to pay some off their wages bill.

Im sure all their other creditors are getting paid in a timely fashion...

Cheers

[Steve]

If the CLS fiasco has caused them to be in breach of their banking covenants, then the bank plays hardball, it could lead to a very tight cash situation...[?]

[minimoke]

And Department of labour have arrested five employees of CLS on immigration charges including a local Hastings Manager. A few more questions – do Immigration have their eyes on Directors? Are employees personally liable for any fines /costs or will the company come to the party with cash to help them out?

[BRICKS]

quote:Originally posted by minimoke

And Department of labour have arrested five employees of CLS on immigration charges including a local Hastings Manager. A few more questions – do Immigration have their eyes on Directors? Are employees personally liable for any fines /costs or will the company come to the party with cash to help them out?

AS we KNOW that your the largest NON shareholder its up to you to save there HIDES.. [8D]

[minimoke]

Frankly, paying your workers is a pretty basic business requirement. Any company that doesn’t do this has to be treated carefully and I won’t be helping them out. They cant get pay sorted, can’t manage their managers, have dodgy directors, an albatross of a motor camp around their necks. Yup a non holder and amazed people continue to buy and hold!

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by minimoke

Frankly, paying your workers is a pretty basic business requirement. Any company that doesn’t do this has to be treated carefully and I won’t be helping them out. They cant get pay sorted, can’t manage their managers, have dodgy directors, an albatross of a motor camp around their necks. Yup a non holder and amazed people continue to buy and hold!

It is surprising that the price hasn't dropped more, at least in the short term...

[minimoke]

Revenue up $8m from $74.5m to $82m. Profit down $1.3m from $3m to $1.7m. As expected the Contract Labour Services problems have certainly created a big hole. Posters picked $4m and probably were too light in their assessments – so where were the announcements from AWF! Simon Hull gains a life style block out of Blenheim but with CLS pretty much sorted could this be the turning point for adding real shareholder value. Lets see if they have learnt the many lessons of the past few years.

I'm thinking this is now a buy, perhaps not at $1.31 but close enough.

Core business seems to be ticking over and improving; operational costs should be steady; more redundancies in the pipeline will add to their crew; only stock of its type on NZX so could be a target in the next few years

[hairdresser]

I'm sure Mr Hull wouldn't have purchased the block unless in was in his best interests to do so... be interesting to know sale price vs market value.

[Misc]

I heard he paid $400k less than what CLS paid a year earlier .... nice work if you can get it!!

Misc