Mission Foods, one of the world’s largest food processing companies, has stood down Navneet Bedi, a conscientious health and safety rep (HSR) who’s worked for more than 13 years at the Mission plant in the Melbourne suburb of Epping.
The company has a track record of sacking HSRs. Now Navneet, who faces a disciplinary hearing, is at risk. Mission claims Navneet was “abusive” to a supervisor, in his Punjabi language.
Navneet is a member of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), which held an emergency protest of 30 people outside the factory gates on 1 June, three days after Navneet was stood down.
AMWU State Secretary Tony Mavromatis and organisers spoke of Navneet’s good work in protecting the health and safety of production workers at the plant. Navneet is AMWU Victoria HSR of the Year.
Navneet told Solidarity that parts of machines regularly fly off and one has hit a worker in the eye. He said fires break out on production equipment but the company has denied his requests for smoke detectors inside the plant.
Mission has officially reprimanded Navneet for “taking too long” to finish a safety review. This is despite a piece of production equipment remaining unrepaired for five years by the company.
The company refuses to allow Navneet to have a phone with a camera while he is at work. He even has one supervisor dedicated to him only.
As the AMWU says, Navneet has been singled out and pressured for doing his job. “He has been raising major questions in methods of production and methods of cleaning which may be health risks,” it said.
“What if the supermarkets and the community knew about these risks? Major questions would be asked.”
Mission won’t pay for changes necessary to keep safety standards up to scratch but can find $1.5 million a year to sponsor the Western Bulldogs AFL team. Since 2009, that’s $24 million.
Mission is also a major netball sponsor in Australia and Singapore, and puts money into motorsports, such as the McLaren Formula One racing team and Indianapolis 500.
Mavromatis told the protest, “Mission has 20 plants in the US and Mexico, Europe and Asia, with the Victorian plant being one of the most unionised in the world.
“Production workers haven’t been called out on strike today because we aren’t at that stage yet. But it’s an option we will consider using.”
The AMWU is planning to take Navneet’s case to court and is also considering a boycott campaign of Mission Foods.
But a strike that hit production would be the most effective way to defend Navneet’s job and teach Mission a lesson.
By Tom Orsag
