Radiator factory boilover

Union takes action as 37 workers stood down

LARA company Air Radiators has stood down about a third of its workforce after its major client, Kenworth, shut down production.

The company said 37 of its 122 workers had been stood down after Kenworth’s parent company, Paccar Inc, suspended truck and engine production at its factories worldwide until April 6.

Air Radiators general manager Jamie Baensch said the company had acted in accordance with its advice in regards to dealing with business interruptions due to the coronavirus, which included not having to give the workers immediate access to their entitlements.

“On April 6, Kenworth will come back to production, and we will be asking those people to return and we will continue on from that

Baensch said.

“This is a very defined action as a result of a consequence outside of our control.”

He said the workers who point,” Mr had been stood down were all directly involved in making radiators for Kenworth Australia and their entitlements would remain fully protected.

“This is really tough at the moment,” Mr Baensch said.

“We are shutting down less than half our business when it is more than half of our revenue.”

But the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union said it had lodged a claim with the Fair Work Commission and was expecting aggrieved workers to take action against the company.

AMWU Geelong organiser Tony Hynds called on Air Radiators to give the workers access to their entitlements rather than standing them down without pay.

“Those workers are not highly paid and they have had their lives turned upside down now,” Mr Hynds said.

Paccar said the shutdown was in response to recent changes in demand and a weaker outlook for the global economy.