News

Mar 17, 2010



Paragon Printing employees face losing their jobs and over $9million in entitlements

140 workers at Paragon Printing Ltd and Moore Office Systems in Wodonga are being laid off for 48 hours.



The devastated workers face being made redundant without receiving entitlements totalling $9million, including superannuation which has not been paid since December.

Many workers haven’t been paid for up to three weeks.



The day after placing both companies in administration, the owner, Amir Hyster, fled overseas.



The workers have rallied at a meeting of creditors, demanding to know who will be held accountable for the company’s collapse and their unpaid entitlements.



The administrators say it’s likely that Paragon Printing was trading while insolvent, and the company has not paid tax, superannuation or salary-sacrificed payments.



“It’s just wrong,” said Natalie Tyrrell, who has worked at Paragon for 11 years.

“I can’t believe the government lets this happen. Why isn’t he [the owner] brought back and made to face the consequences?”



AMWU Victorian Secretary, Steve Dargavel, said the union was concerned the company had been stripped of assets in order to avoid paying the workers’ entitlements.

“It is morally corrupt to for a director to deliberately create a situation where a company cannot pay its workers the money it owes them.”

Jane Kernaghan has worked for Paragon Printing for 15 years and she said she feels betrayed by the company director.



“Most of the people have worked here for between ten and 40 years of their life. They’ve given everything. We’ve gone without pay rises and made sacrifices to keep our jobs and keep the company going and this is what thanks we get.”



“If the government stood up for us we wouldn’t be in this position,” she said. “It’s just wrong.”



The AMWU has been campaigning for a national system that protects workers entitlements in full and holds company directors to account for their legal obligations to employees.

Contact Person: Jemina Wilson

Contact Email: news@amwu.asn.au