A worker at McCain’s Ballarat factory was burnt by hot oil last week because the replacement worker from New Zealand failed to properly clean a fryer, the AMWU says.
As the Courier reports, the injured worker was taken to hospital with minor burns and discharged shortly after.
According to AMWU organiser Angela McCarthy, the worker’s arms were injured because of a carbon build-up in a pipe which had been cleaned properly.
“They didn’t clean the fryer properly so when our guys came in last week and a pipe burst and one of our members got sprayed with hot oil on his arm which could easily have been his face,” Ms McCarthy said.
“The people who were running it while our stoppage was taking place clearly weren’t able to run the place.
“They were able to produce very, very little.”
Ballarat plant manager Karl Thin said the replacement workers were qualified to do these jobs.
“The staff who are at our plant this week from New Zealand are fully qualified for the roles they are fulfilling, because they perform the same roles in our plants in New Zealand,” he said.
“Our employees often travel between our plants to share information or help cover outages, so this is not unusual for them.”
According to the AMWU, the industrial action concerns 10 open claims, including just one cost claim regarding increased sick leave for workers on 12-hour shifts.