The Guardian 6 April, 2005
Death threats against union
Police sealed off streets near the railway station in the Sydney inner western suburb of
Campsie last week after the sixth bomb threat against the Textile, Clothing and Footwear
Union (TCFU) offices in the space of three weeks. All the telephone threats have been
received since union reps went public about a clothing industry sweatshop at nearby
Bexley.
A fire engine and six police cars raced to the union headquarters at around 4pm last Friday after
two female office workers had received death threats in the space of 40 minutes.
The first caller repeated "gonna kill you, gonna kill you", the second added a specific threat to
blow up the building.
Frustrated TCFUA secretary, Barry Tubner, confirmed police officers had attended the union's
building six times in response to phone threats since the Sydney Morning Herald broke news of
an unregistered Bexley factory making garments for fashion labels Jaggad, Pani, Cooper Street
and Project One. Mr Tubner said office staff were "seriously concerned" about the
intimidation.
"It is having an affect on the health and wellbeing of people who work here", he said, "but I'm just
angry. Health and safety regulations mean we have to take these threats seriously, and we do.
So far, risk management planning and security upgrades have cost our members tens of
thousands of dollars."
The last time the union exposed a Sydney sweatshop one of its vehicles was seriously damaged
but Mr Tubner warned against jumping to conclusions.
"You can't help wondering if it's payback, but we have no evidence for that", he said. "Whatever
the motive, it's criminal behaviour and that's why we've left it in the hands of the
police."