Fosters To Axe Jobs

[shellnaf]

Linky

Workers are threatening to stop production of VB, Carlton Draught and Foster's.
Is that such a bad thing??

Although I hope the workers get to keep their jobs.

Nat

 

[reviled]

Linky

Workers are threatening to stop production of VB, Carlton Draught and Foster's.
Is that such a bad thing??

Although I hope the workers get to keep their jobs.

Nat

What would poor old average jo aussie do if they stopped production of their precious nectar :lol:

Not cool about people losing their jobs tho..

 

[Pollux]

Remember, it's a recession if your neighbour loses his job, it's a depression if you lose yours.....

Given the the fact that their sales have continued to grow even during the WEC I'm surprised...

 

[Jakechan]

...and the rich get richer. Friggin typical.

 

[lczaban]

What would poor old average jo aussie do if they stopped production of their precious nectar :lol:

Probably drink something decent... :icon_cheers:

Not cool about people losing their jobs tho..

As much as there is a wild spectrum of opinions about whether CUB/Lion Nathan beers are pure evil or not, it's not cool to see people without a job having to scrounge for work in these times. I hope that the powers that be give these guys a fair (if not good) separation package and that it isn't too long before they all get backto work somewhere else.

:icon_offtopic: Wouldn't it be funny if some of the sacked workers started up their own brewery??

 

[MarkBastard]

Yeah it annoys me that companies are using this global financial crisis as justification to do things they morally may not normally do. Even if your own company is doing great and has great prospects (I bet megaswill does well in a recession / depression), you can still axe anyone and blame it on the economy.

Same goes for companies that suffer a rough quarter. They probably have a 15% drop in sales every couple of years. It's probably often something they look at and learn from and build on, but now they probably instantly write it off as being a part of the recession, and cut back jobs and other costs.

It's all self perpetuating nonsense really. I'm only young but I've been working full time since I've been able to, hardly had a day off in fact other than a couple of weeks at christmas each year, and it really sucks to know that your life could be turned around instantly even though you've worked hard. I don't know what I'd do if I got the sack in a time where there wasn't much hope of picking up another job.

 

[j1gsaw]

VB, Fosters and Carlton Draught all stopped production... Jeeze.. that wet dream i had last night WAS for a reason! hahahah

 

[tcraig20]

:icon_offtopic: Wouldn't it be funny if some of the sacked workers started up their own brewery??

Just about every small winery in SA seems to be owned by former Southcorp employees, so why not?

 

[petesbrew]

Same deal as BONDS isn't it? CEO gets a huge paypacket & massive bonuses to cut costs & jobs... nothing about a quality product.

 

[raven19]

Whilst understanding it has shareholders and profits are to be had, $411m in a 6 month period is still a lot of moolah.

Does this mean with 114 less maintenance workers, that the brewery will start suffering breakdowns due to lack of maintenance? Or just make the remaining maintenance employees work harder?

I am not a fan of their beer, but it is a great shame to see this company and many others taking this path...

 

[tcraig20]

Whilst understanding it has shareholders and profits are to be had, $411m in a 6 month period is still a lot of moolah.

You need to have a bit of perspective. Fosters is a 10 billion dollar company. $411 million in 6 months is equal to a profit of less than 8% p.a. Not bad, but certainly not pornographic.

 

[chappo1970]

Beer companies historically do better in recessions than booms. I think they are just cleaning up the dead wood hanging around the place?

 

[seemax]

It's a perfect chance for such companies to reduce overheads, all under the banner of economic climate and protecting for future growth, oh and a whopping big bonus for the CEO and board members.

Such things are expected in a capitalist society which is unregulated and CEO's et al have no personal liability in the faith of the company.

The world wants too much, too fast... short selling, CFDs, you name, more and more deriviatives aimed at making fast money out of nothing. The share market has become a farce and the price does not reflect the true value. The balloon had to burst... sadly the people who suffer most are not those responsible for it.

Enough ranting... time for a beer !!

 

[HoppingMad]

:icon_offtopic: Wouldn't it be funny if some of the sacked workers started up their own brewery??

One can only hope that if some of these people go, if they have good knowledge, and if they are talented, that they can stay in the brewing industry and replicate their knowhow into crafting better beers beyond some of the crapola in the Foster's stable. When you look at the background of some of the better head brewers about running decent smaller shops quite a few cut their teeth at megaswills here or overseas.

This is crap news for the workers affected, and reinforces that manufacturing in Australia is yet again under threat - but could be an opportunity for some.

Hopper.

 

[reviled]

One can only hope that if some of these people go, if they have good knowledge, and if they are talented, that they can stay in the brewing industry and replicate their knowhow into crafting better beers beyond some of the crapola in the Foster's stable. When you look at the background of some of the better head brewers about running decent smaller shops quite a few cut their teeth at megaswills here or overseas.

This is crap news for the workers affected, and reinforces that manufacturing in Australia is yet again under threat - but could be an opportunity for some.

Hopper.

Wont the majority of workers there be employed as "factory employees" doing tasks such as cleaning out fermenters and not actually brewing... I know alot of the employees at Lion Nathan in NZ dont really know sfa about brewing beer..

 

[QldKev]

Lets face it, up here in bundy I can pick up a tallie of Coopers Pale Ale for the same price a XXXX is. So the megaswills can slow brewing all they want. We may just have to start drinking better brews. Make way for some more of the micro breweries. Do feal sorry for the people loosing jobs, but hopefully they can be picked up by the better breing places.

QldKev

 

[HoppingMad]

Wont the majority of workers there be employed as "factory employees" doing tasks such as cleaning out fermenters and not actually brewing... I know alot of the employees at Lion Nathan in NZ dont really know sfa about brewing beer..

You're probably right there reviled.

:icon_offtopic:
Things have really changed at Fosters. Knew a guy that used to work in the Abbotsford plant on Victoria St years ago (the place is now demolished and I think a Porsche dealership is there) and he said they used to be allowed to drink whatever they liked while they worked from start until knock-off! This happened long before OH&S was dreamed of in the 70s. There were pissed people on forklifts, in the warehouse, in the bottling plant you name it. It's one hell of a different operation now!

Hopper.

 

[shellnaf]

The Honeypot Employees had a generous ration of beer at morning tea (called the beer break), lunch, afternoon tea and when they clocked off. Some of the trade supervisors were able to float between bars during the day, eventually leading to a permanent state of inebriation. The brewery had several bars, although plant operators could tap a leaking cask for their own enjoyment. The cask was called the honeypot. Tooth unsuccessfully sought a ruling from the Industrial Relations Commission, that the honeypot would be banned. The ruling was that a precedent had been set. Subsequently an inebriated operator, while travelling home, was hit by a train. Tooth successfully appealed the IRC decision. The honeypot was banned. Tooth would issue plastic tokens, allowing the employee to take home one carton of beer, per week, for his private enjoyment. That arrangement ended with CUB.

This is from the wiki about Tooth & Co who were bought out by CUB, they were having beers for breakfast pretty much.

Nathan

 

[Thirsty Boy]

despite the fact that official on-site enjoyment of the product ended in 1986 or so (about 3 years before I started damn it) - at Abbotsford the lunch rooms are still commonly referred to as bars and I dont take a smoke'o - I have a Bar'o or maybe Beer'o.

We do get a voucher for some beer though.. basically a slab a fortnight. My family and friends enjoy it.

A lot of skillfull, loyal employees who had previously taken pride in working for such an iconic Australian company - are about to be made redundant. Friends of mine. Its just plain nasty.

 

[Barramundi]

Does this mean with 114 less maintenance workers, that the brewery will start suffering breakdowns due to lack of maintenance? Or just make the remaining maintenance employees work harder?

theyre contracting the maintenance out , some of those 114 will get the job back with the new contatctor other will not ,its the company's way of weeding out dead wood basically and they get someone else to be accountable for their breakdowns etc , i know this because i had an interview with said contractor last week...