• Carmen Jankowksi has been given her marching orders from Fremantle Markets after 35 years. She says it started with her “liking” a Facebook comment critical of the markets. CEO Natasha Atkinson says it’s because she lacks commitment. Photo by Steve Grant
PRESSING ‘Like’ on a Facebook post critical of the Fremantle Markets has, says Carmen Jankowski, led to her eviction after 35 years as a stallholder.
Still reeling from the decision, the 54-year-old sobbed to the Herald, “this is my work, this is my life”. She has till the end of the month to clear out.
After “liking” the critical post Ms Jankowski received an email from markets CEO Natasha Atkinson.
“I am disappointed yet again you find it necessary to hit ‘like’ to a negative comment about the Fremantle markets,” the CEO wrote in a May 7 email.
“Obviously, this isn’t showing your commitment to our vision.”
In the same email the CEO flagged Ms Jankowski’s rent would be going up and she ordered her to spend at least $5000 refurbishing the clothing stall, plans for which were to be with Ms Atkinson within two weeks.
Ms Jankowski says the deadline was dropped when she complained it was unrealistic but her failure to meet a new deadline—which she claims not to have known about—resulted in her being given her marching orders. She missed the new deadline by two days.
Having ridden the post-America’s Cup boom and survived the depths of the GFC, Ms Jankowski is devastated.
“this is my work, this is my life”
She says the harsh treatment isn’t even-handed, with a nearby trader who’d ignored an instruction to pull goods into their stall space being left alone.
Ms Jankowski invested $30,000 buying the stall space, and another $20,000 in stock. She pays $1518 a month in rent.
Her close friend Anne Milianku—a stall owner from 1983-1990—believes the treatment verges on bullying.
“She has been here for ages and has seen a lot,” she says. “They want to bring more of a European feel to the markets. Maybe they should start in the toilet.”
Ms Atkinson isn’t keen to talk about Ms Jankowski except to say she’s been previously offered a long-term tenancy on the same terms and conditions “deemed acceptable by the vast majority of stallholders” and had been “granted the courtesy of several deadline extensions”.
“The conclusion was reached that she was not looking to invest in improving her stall in the Fremantle Markets to a level that is required in order for the Markets to fulfil its potential and we regretfully have to part ways,” she says.
by CARMELO AMALFI
I must admit that many corporate decisions baffle me. The Fremantle Markets take the cake. Now we know how much the rent is perhaps some.money can be spent on those toilets as I do wonder at the Markets being permitted to stay open. They are an absolute disgrace to Fremantle. I was physically ill last time I was foolish enough to enter them.
I have known Carmen all my adult life and have experienced the disgusting attitudes of the lessees of the markets first hand so this news is hardly surprising. I hope someone puts a curse on their CEO as she sounds like a Trollope.