Sacked Repco men wait

Press, 9 March 1988, Page 41

Sacked Repco men wait

NZPA-AAP Melbourne Former Repco Corporation executives, John O’Brien and Hilary Roberts, sacked by Ariadne Australia after their management buy-out plan became public, have taken their case to the Victorian Industrial Relations Commission. Mr Roberts, aged 41, said they would wait for the result of the wrongful dismissal hearing scheduled for March 15 before they sought court orders blocking work visas for the Americans brought in to replace them. Mr Roberts, who was Repco's finance director, and Mr O’Brien, aged 45, former managing director, were dismissed last week.

Ariadne’s managing director, Mr Eugene Cafiero, said then it was "inappropriate”

that details of the buy-out plan had been made public. But Mr Roberts said Mr Cafiero had not directly given them any reason for the sackings. They had read what he said in the press/ but had not been told in person or by letter. He said the company had not paid them the severance allowances ' their contracts specified, but he would not say how much he believed they were owed. Mr O’Brien’s replacement, Gordon Olson, had arrived in Australia the week-end before the two were sacked.

Mr Roberts said depending on the result of the commission decision, the two would then decide whether to challenge the work visas issued to the Americans by taking court action.