In a statement, SPC Ardmona's Managing Director Peter Kelly, says the company's problems are due to the strength of the Australia dollar, and the dumping of cheap imported fruit and vegetable products into the Australian market.SPC Ardmona has also responded to recent claims about staff conditions, saying workers receive four weeks paid leave a year, not nine, and sick leave is not cashed out at the end of the year.
"To blame the workers and say it's their conditions and their unions that have caused the problems at SPC is a disgrace," Paul Bastian, national secretary of the AMWU said.
Federal government backbencher Sharman Stone has accused the Prime Minister and Treasurer of telling lies about the financial troubles at the Victorian fruit processing company, SPC Ardmona.
When the federal government rejected an SPC request for $25million to upgrade its facilities, Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey both said the company's troubles were in part due to it being too generous to its workers.
But local Liberal MP Sharman Stone says SPC has already undergone what she describes as massive restructuring, and will soon publish details of its 2012 enterprise agreement with workers.
Doctor Stone says the government has been telling lies about the company's problems.
"It's not the truth. That's right, it's lying. And their own independent panel, I understand, recommended that this industry be supported," Dr Stone said.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says the federal government did not reject financial assistance for SPC Ardmona on the basis of false information.
"We had all of the information in front of us, including the information about the enterprise bargaining agreement, but let's just take a step back. SPC Ardmona is a business wholly owned by Coca-Cola Amatil. Coca-Cola Amatil in the first six months of this financial year made more than $200 million of profit. They are a $9 billion market cap (capitalisation), they've got the cash reserves to deal with the challenges at SPC Ardmona as they see fit."
