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.