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Boral's heart of stone
Date: 10 May 2000
Over 30 stonemasons employed by Melocco Stonework a subsidiary of Boral were abruptly sacked last week--Boral had sold the Melocco plant and equipment in Alexandria and Sommersby quarries to Gosford Quarries.
To add insult to injury Boral spent money on a public relations company to advise their managers on how to deal with newspaper and television reporters interested in why the master stonemasons were sacked.
Managers were warned the story might attract media attention 'given the emotional pull of the family of wonderful Italian craftsmen losing their jobs.'
An internal Boral manual outlining how to minimise media fallout advise managers to show 'concern and sadness' and 'regret' if approached by the media.
'Have your PR take the message from the media initially. That way you can call the journalists back when...you can be better composed.
The manual also advises managers 'not to close the door in the faces of TV crews or run away' in the unlikely event a TV crew arrive.
The sacked workers have between them done over 400 years of loyal service for the company and are proud of the restoration work they did on the Federal Parliament House, State Bank, Sydney Opera House, St Mary's Cathedral, Mary MacKillop's tomb and the Commonwealth Bank in Martin Place.
Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) State Secretary Andrew Ferguson described the manual as 'an ABC of media manipulation.'
'The company should have put its energy and money into improving the inadequate redundancy package for its loyal and long serving workers instead of wasting its time, energy and money trying to manipulate the media.'
The sacked stonemasons have set up pickets at the Alenandria and Somersby sites until they all receive a decent redundancy package.
For copies of the manual contact Phil Davey on 0414 867 188.
For further information
| Contact: |
Andrew Ferguson, State Secretary
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| Union: |
CFMEU
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| Phone: |
0413 837 337
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