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ABC Learning, 123 Careers battle over 8000 staff

CHILDCARE giant ABC Learning Centres and its staffing agency 123 Careers will battle for control over 8000 staff in Queensland's Supreme Court tomorrow.

TheAustralian

CHILDCARE giant ABC Learning Centres and its staffing agency 123 Careers will battle for control over 8000 staff in Queensland's Supreme Court tomorrow.

ABC, which operates one in five Australian childcare centres, expects to resume trading on the stock exchange once its overdue annual report is released today or tomorrow.

Thousands of childcare workers have been snared in a legal tug-of-war between the stricken childcare provider and its staffing agency this week.

Correspondence obtained by The Australian yesterday suggests that ABC has tried to poach the 8000 casual workers employed by 123 Careers. ABC management instructed childcare centres last Thursday to "entice" 123 casuals to work directly for ABC -- a day before it informed the Australian stock exchange it had pulled out of a $70 million deal to buy 123 Careers.

The director of 123 Careers, former ABC Learning executive Don Jones, yesterday said he would not pay back the $40 million ABC gave him as a down-payment for his company in June.

"Our view is the contract still stands," he said.

Queensland's Supreme Court ordered an interim injunction last Friday to stop ABC approaching 123 staff. Mr Jones yesterday said he would ask the court to extend the injunction.

Last week, ABC gave its centre directors just one working day to bypass 123 and directly hire enough relief staff to cover permanent workers who are sick or on holiday this week.

"What we recommend you do is ... get their number and physically ring them and ask them to work," ABC's Victorian area manager, Shirleen Stokoe, wrote to childcare centres in an email last Thursday.

"The more 123 staff we can get over to ABC as casuals, the easier this will be in covering sick days.

"As yet we are still unsure if 123 staff have been informed of whats (sic) happening so please be very professional in WHAT AND HOW YOU SAY THIS -- I cannot emphasis (sic) this enough!"

ABC Learning's shares have been suspended since August, when they crashed to 54c from an $8 high.

Natasha Bita
Natasha BitaEducation Editor

Natasha Bita is a multi-award winning journalist with a focus on free speech, education, social affairs, aged care, health policy, immigration, industrial relations and consumer law. She has won a Walkley Award, Australia’s most prestigious journalism award, and a Queensland Clarion Award for feature writing. Natasha has also been a finalist for the Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year Award and the Sir Keith Murdoch Award for Excellence in Journalism. Her reporting on education issues has won the NSW Professional Teachers’ Council Media Award and an Australian Council for Educational Leaders award. Her agenda-setting coverage of aged care abuse won an Older People Speak Out award. Natasha worked in London and Italy for The Australian newspaper and News Corp Australia. She is a member of the Canberra Press Gallery and the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance. Contact her by email natasha.bita@news.com.au

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/abc-learning-123-careers-battle-over-8000-staff/news-story/1828fc86a29aba388280b2c077d7f3a9