In August 2004 Rem De Haas was working with Enviro Electrics in Richmond when he received a call to visit the office. ‘The company is no longer trading, so you don't have job. We'll let you know about your wages,' said a man in a suit. He of course was the much feared liquidator.
So began a long journey in pursuit of lost wages, which amounted to $4500. ‘We called the ETU straight away and were invited to the Carlton office the next day. Howard Worthing mapped out a strategy, and after three years we finally received a cheque,' says a delighted Rem. As for the role of Howard Worthing and the ETU Rem has a straightforward response. ‘It would have been so much more difficult without the ETU. It gave us hope and kept up our spirits,' says Rem.
On Monday 16 April, three years after the struggle began, Howard Worthing and Rino Lia handed over the cheques to some very happy ETU members. So much for John Howard telling workers they're better off without a union! And who will Rem be voting for? ‘It won't be John Howard, I can tell you that much,' says Rem, who's now working with SJ Electric in Thomastown.
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