Jupiters says up to 35 jobs to go
Managment says union claims that 46 jobs will go from Jupiters Hotel and Casino are incorrect and the figure could be fewer than 35.
The United Voice Union, which represents workers at Jupiters in Broadbeach and Treasury Casino in Brisbane, said owner Echo Entertainment was planning to shed 115 jobs across both properties.
However, Echo Entertainment said about 65 positions across both properties had been earmarked to go and 35 of the forced redundancies could be at Jupiters.
A spokeswoman for Echo indicated some staff would be offered jobs elsewhere in the company, which meant the exact number of redundancies was still unknown.
United Voice Queensland lead organiser Don Brown, who met Echo management yesterday, said he planned to take the matter to Fair Work Australia because there had been a lack of consultation over the redundancies.
"We will seek for Fair Work Australia to enforce our right," he said.
"We want to see voluntary redundancies offered first, but the company at the moment has flatly refused that.
"We are seeking greater input and consultation in regards to the selection process for those forced redundancies.
"We are unable to take industrial action due to this but we are looking to take other forms of public demonstration actions in support of the workers."
Mr Brown said "maximising profits was a common theme" at the meetings held with the unions so far.
"They are putting profits before people, which is very unfortunate," he said.
"These two casinos have been put in a privileged position by our State Government and we think they should have at least some consideration for their employees. They have shown none so far."
Echo Entertainment issued a statement about the job cuts yesterday afternoon, saying it had "always intended to review its business operations after the demerger last year from Tabcorp Holdings Ltd" and was focused on "optimising business efficiencies and driving revenues".
Echo employs about 2000 people at Jupiters Hotel and Casino and 1600 in Brisbane.
Echo Entertainment, owner of three Queensland casinos and The Star in Sydney, posted a $70.2 million profit for the six months to the end of December.
Source: Goldcoast.com.au, 20 May 2012
