13Mar08 - Geelong Advertiser
FORD Australia has lodged an appeal against a landmark decision by a Perth court to award a former mechanic $840,000 compensation for exposure to asbestos when he worked at Ford car dealerships.
Antonino Lo Presti, 58, last month in the West Australian Supreme Court was the first motor mechanic in Australia to win a successful negligence verdict against a car company for exposure to asbestos.
His lawyer, Michael Magazanik, said the Ford Motor Company of Australia lodged an appeal yesterday and had 35 days to give grounds as to why.
Mr Magazanik said the appeal was a blow to his client, who suffered from serious fibrosis and requires constant oxygen.
``This is yet another hurdle for a sick man,'' Mr Magazanik said.
``He's been battling this for years and he's not about to give up the fight.''
Mr Lo Presti used compressed air to blow out the brake drums and handled asbestos brake linings when brakes were serviced or changed between 1970 and 1971 at two Ford dealerships he worked at.
http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/03/13/12150_business.html
Sacked Ford workers' lottery
Jeff Whalley, 07Mar08 - Geelong Advertiser
FORD could make 600 sacked engine plant workers pay for raffle tickets to win one of four top-of-the-line cars offered as part of their severance package.
The ticket offer is an addition to the new package struck by unions which will be voted on by affected workers today.
The deal could be seen as a victory for the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union who last year argued for workers to turn down an offer made by the US automotive giant.
The new deal significantly pumps up the amount of redundancy payments from 75 weeks pay to a 90 weeks maximum for most workers.
If workers have been employed more than 20 years they can also get paid an additional 20 weeks of pay.
The new deal, obtained by the Geelong Advertiser , also brings Ford workers in line with workers who have lost jobs at Toyota and Mitsubishi.
Employees at the Geelong plant will start voting on the package this morning with a result expected this afternoon.
But the biggest oddity in the deal is the `Closure Raffle' which offers the sacked workers a chance to get their hands on the results of their years of handywork.
There is also a hitch in that they have to pay for a ticket.
``To satisfy legal requirements it may be necessary to apply a nominal purchase price to each ticket, which will be donated to charity,'' the offer says.
It is understood unions originally asked for a Ford car for each of the 600 sacked workers as a part of the negotiations.
Ford and union representatives did not return calls yesterday.
Under the agreement, workers will be allowed ``reasonable time off'' to attend job interviews.
To entice workers to keep the plant working until its scheduled closure in 2010 they will be offered an additional payment of $1750.
Ford will also provide workers with labour market information through onsite services with the Natural Work Group and also offer one-on-one career counselling and skills assessment sessions.
FORD could make 600 sacked engine plant workers pay for raffle tickets to win one of four top-of-the-line cars offered as part of their severance package.
The ticket offer is an addition to the new package struck by unions which will be voted on by affected workers today.
The deal could be seen as a victory for the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union who last year argued for workers to turn down an offer made by the US automotive giant.
The new deal significantly pumps up the amount of redundancy payments from 75 weeks pay to a 90 weeks maximum for most workers.
If workers have been employed more than 20 years they can also get paid an additional 20 weeks of pay.
The new deal, obtained by the Geelong Advertiser , also brings Ford workers in line with workers who have lost jobs at Toyota and Mitsubishi.
Employees at the Geelong plant will start voting on the package this morning with a result expected this afternoon.
But the biggest oddity in the deal is the `Closure Raffle' which offers the sacked workers a chance to get their hands on the results of their years of handywork.
There is also a hitch in that they have to pay for a ticket.
``To satisfy legal requirements it may be necessary to apply a nominal purchase price to each ticket, which will be donated to charity,'' the offer says.
It is understood unions originally asked for a Ford car for each of the 600 sacked workers as a part of the negotiations.
Ford and union representatives did not return calls yesterday.
Under the agreement, workers will be allowed ``reasonable time off'' to attend job interviews.
To entice workers to keep the plant working until its scheduled closure in 2010 they will be offered an additional payment of $1750.
Ford will also provide workers with labour market information through onsite services with the Natural Work Group and also offer one-on-one career counselling and skills assessment sessions.
Ford's new chief walking a tricky high wire
Ian Porter - March 4, 2008 The Age
NEW Ford Australia chief Bill Osborne faces a daunting challenge — building on the company's traditional blue-collar customer base by adding customers who have never considered buying a Ford.
He wants to increase the emotional appeal of Fords and not just rely on a value proposition. It will be a tricky balancing act, perhaps more familiar to a high-wire artist.
At the same time he will have to wrestle with the reduced circumstances of all local car makers, whose manufacturing operations have shrunk as demand has moved to other types of vehicles.
There may be hope in that regard as the latest survey of Australian manufacturers shows that demand rose in February for the first time in three years.
The performance of manufacturing index compiled by the Australian Industry Group and PricewaterhouseCoopers showed a rise of 2.2 points, which pushed the index past the break-even point to 51.4, meaning that, overall, manufacturing output expanded.
For the full story go to: http://business.theage.com.au/fords-new-chief-walking-a-tricky-high-wire/20080303-1wkz.html
NEW Ford Australia chief Bill Osborne faces a daunting challenge — building on the company's traditional blue-collar customer base by adding customers who have never considered buying a Ford.
He wants to increase the emotional appeal of Fords and not just rely on a value proposition. It will be a tricky balancing act, perhaps more familiar to a high-wire artist.
At the same time he will have to wrestle with the reduced circumstances of all local car makers, whose manufacturing operations have shrunk as demand has moved to other types of vehicles.
There may be hope in that regard as the latest survey of Australian manufacturers shows that demand rose in February for the first time in three years.
The performance of manufacturing index compiled by the Australian Industry Group and PricewaterhouseCoopers showed a rise of 2.2 points, which pushed the index past the break-even point to 51.4, meaning that, overall, manufacturing output expanded.
For the full story go to: http://business.theage.com.au/fords-new-chief-walking-a-tricky-high-wire/20080303-1wkz.html
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