| WHAT: | Press conference | Press conference |
| WHO: | UWU Logistics Director Dario Mujkic + hundreds of strike workers | UWU Logistics Organiser Sharon Eurlings + hundreds of strike workers |
| WHERE: | Melbourne Liquor Distribution Centre, 1 Interchange Dr, Laverton North, Victoria | Erskine Park Distribution Centre, 28 Sarah Andrews Cl, Erskine Park NSW |
| WHEN: | 10.30am Thursday 21 November | 10.30am Thursday 21 November |
More than 1500 warehouse workers across three distribution centres in Victoria and one in NSW have walked off the job today and will be on strike until Woolworths comes to the table with an improved offer on safety, pay and equity.
Workers stopped work for one-hour across all shifts last week to hold meetings and voted to take indefinite strike action if Woolworths remained unwilling to negotiate an improved workplace agreement.
Workers are calling to permanently scrap Woolworths’ “Framework”, which the union says is a high-risk management approach pushing workers to work faster, which could undermine safety in a very dangerous industry.
Workers want equal pay and conditions across Woolworths distribution centres and are seeking to bring all workers up to at least $38 per hour in the first year of a new workplace agreement, with percentage wage increases in following years.
Moving forward, workers are calling for a national agreement so that workers are paid the same for doing the same work.
Comments attributable to UWU National Secretary Tim Kennedy:
“Woolworths must scrap its so-called ‘Framework’ once and for all in one of the most dangerous industries for workers in Australia.
“Workers have reported feeling pressured to cut corners and work unsafely or lose their job if they don’t pick at higher speeds. Woolworths must prioritise the safety and well-being of workers above all else.
“Workers all over Australia are struggling to survive in the face of more than a decade of wage stagnation compounded by ever rising prices. The real purchasing power of wages today is lower than it was decade ago.
“Woolworths are squeezing shoppers at the register and workers on pay and conditions, while making ever increasing profits. This is contributing to growing wealth inequality in Australia.
“Woolworths workers are striking for a cost-of-living wage increase and to be paid the same rate of pay for doing the same work under a national agreement.
“No one wants to see bare supermarket shelves in the lead up to Christmas. Woolworths can fix this by coming back to the table and negotiating a fair agreement.”
ENDS
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