AMWU Members are hopeful their jobs will be saved after an announcement by Print Media Group that it will acquire Paragon Printing Ltd in Wodonga and secure the company’s future in the region.
Print Media Group has made a commitment to purchase the plant and all equipment, under a new entity within their organisation, to be called South Pacific Print Group.
The AMWU is hopeful that over 90 jobs will be saved, as well as 20 jobs at the associated warehouse owned by Moore Office Systems.
AMWU members and the new owner have reached a new 12 month union collective agreement which will ensure the former Paragon Printing Ltd workers continue to enjoy good working conditions, pay and safety standards.
AMWU National Print Secretary, Lorraine Cassin, said the sale is as an excellent result for the workers and employment in the local community.
The highly complicated legal status of Paragon Printing Ltd and associated companies made negotiations over the sale difficult, but Ms Cassin said AMWU members and the local AMWU organiser, Leigh Diehm, worked hard to find a solution.
“It was very important that we find a way to get the sale over the line. We always maintained that it was a profitable business prior to being put into administration. We believe the new owners can continue the operation as a successful business.”
Ms Cassin said something must be done to ensure workers are not put in similar situations in the future.
“The members are very happy with the result, but obviously it’s been a very traumatic time for everybody. They’re exhausted by the whole process of not having job security and not knowing what their future will be. We’re now looking forward to make sure our members have job security so they can move on with their lives.”
Leigh Diehm said he was pleased a buyer for the company has been found, but the government needs to change redundancy and insolvency law to ensure this situation never happens again.
“This is a great result and it’s been a long time coming. But nobody should have to go through what our members have endured over the last six weeks. This is another example of why the Federal Government needs to reform redundancy and insolvency laws and ensure workers who are made redundant receive their full entitlements.”
Workers who are not re-employed by the new company will receive some of their entitlements under the GEERS system.