Chocolate job turns sour

By Callan Date
SACKED Hallam worker Robert Rapisardo’s life has been like a box of chocolates since he was dismissed from his confectionary job last month.
Mr Rapisardo had given Fyna Foods 16 years of service but didn’t know what ‘he was going to get’ after he oversaw the line that produced 370 cartons of wrongly flavoured Ballantyne chocolate sticks.
The 58-year-old said he was doing two jobs at the same time when the sweets were made with a dark chocolate coating instead of the intended milk chocolate.
The next day he was dismissed.
“I worked at the Hallam factory for about five years and I was with the company for 11 years before that at their Fitzroy base,” Wantirna resident Mr Rapisardo said.
Following his sacking, Mr Rapisardo was set to take the company to the Industrial Relations Commission, saying he had been unfairly dismissed.
Manufacturing Workers’ Union official Linda Pope said the Hallam factory tried to use the new industrial relations laws to sack Mr Rapisardo.
“Ultimately getting the sack for having one bad day in 16 years is a bit tough and I just believe that Robert deserved his day in court,” Ms Pope said.
She said had the case gone before the Industrial Relations Commission it would have been a lengthy and costly process so both parties reached a settlement.
“They claimed in their argument they employ less than 100 people, but our claim was that with their subcontractors they employ more than 100 people,” she said.
Fyna Foods managing director Jacqui Harvey declined to comment on the incident and reasons behind Mr Rapisardo’s dismissal.
Union officials have voiced their concern at the unusual system of employment at the Hallam factory and the sub-contractor agreement under which workers are hired.
Union food and confectionary divisional secretary Tom Hale said Mr Rapisardo’s case wasn’t the first time workers had claimed unfair dismissal against Fyna Foods.
“They get up and go to work at the factory but the arrangement is they don’t have the same benefits and rights because they are employed as subcontractors,” Mr Hale said.
Fyna Foods took over Ballantyne Chocolates in 2003.
The company has been operating in Hallam for the past five years and is most famous for producing the children’s favourite Wizz Fizz sherbet among its large range of lollies and chocolates.