Gippsland families head to Canberra to fight Australia’s biggest tax thief

Families from Gippsland are heading to Canberra early next week to lobby Federal politicians about the conduct of gas giant ExxonMobil/Esso Australia, which is trying to cut the pay and conditions of 230 Gippsland workers.

The delegation will be asking the country’s leaders to make Esso pay tax on their ballooning profits. Last year Esso/Exxon paid no company tax on the $8.5 billion profit it made in Australia.

Unions representing the workers say the company has become a symbol of corporate greed.

Australian Workers’ Union Victorian Secretary Ben Davis, who will lead the delegation in Canberra, says Esso’s tax-dodging adds insult to injury when the out-of-work maintenance workers are struggling to feed their families.

“The multinational is making record profits from soaring gas prices, at the same time it cuts the pay of workers and dodges its tax share.”

“Esso is Australia’s biggest tax dodger. They turned an $8.5 billion profit and paid not a cent in company tax. Every one of these workers being attacked by this company paid more than that. It’s a disgrace.”

The families say the first step in getting Esso/Exxon to pay its fair share is for politicians to haul gas executives in front of an inquiry to drill down into how Exxon manages to avoid tax each and every year.

The workers have been fighting for 160 days against Esso’s contractor UGL. Esso has endorsed UGL’s moves to cut pay by 30 percent using a dubious enterprise agreement voted up by 5 casuals in Western Australia.

The campaign to stop the company’s pay cuts has recently moved up a gear, with the unions running extensive radio ads in Gippsland and Canberra in the weeks to come.

Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union Victorian Secretary Steve Dargavel will also be leading the delegation. He says the CUB-style avoidance of the Fair Work Act by Esso and its contractor confirm how far this company is willing to go to boost its tax-free profits.

“Companies like Esso are robbing the community of the tax they owe on their enormous profits. Just like they’re trying to rip wages out of their workers’ pockets — they’re depriving our hospitals and schools by avoiding paying their fair share of tax.”

“Esso’s tax dodging cost us the equivalent of 68,000 apprenticeships last year. They are taking opportunities away from regional youth. It’s time to hold them to account.”