| WHAT: | Workers at one of Australia’s largest bakeries go on strike. |
| WHERE: | 23-29 Pinnacle Rd, Altona North VIC 3025 |
| WHO: | Striking workers plus United Workers Union Food and Beverage Co-ordinator Adam Auld. |
| WHEN: | 9.30am Wednesday 14 May |
Food workers at one of the largest bakery companies operating in Australia have started strike action today, walking off the job at 6am. Workers will remain on strike for 48-hours after negotiations for a new workplace agreement broke down.
Workers and their union, United Workers Union (UWU), have been negotiating with the company since September 2024 and say they have been forced to take this step for a fair outcome.
Allied Pinnacle is Australia’s leading provider of flour, bakery ingredients, and prepared baked goods. The company operates seven flour mills and multiple baking and mixing sites across Australia.
Allied Pinnacle was formed from a merger in 2017 of Pinnacle Bakery & Integrated Ingredients and Allied Mills. The resulting Allied Pinnacle business was acquired by Nisshin Seifun Group in 2019. This acquisition was valued at approximately $950 million.
Allied Pinnacle has a workforce of approximately 1300 nationally, with 150 workers at the Altona facility going on strike over the next two days.
The company supplies over 3,000 customers, including major supermarkets such as Coles and Woolworths, independent and industrial bakeries such as Bakers Delight, as well as cafes and smaller businesses around the country. Allied Pinnacle in Altona produces a diverse range of products including cakes, cookies, croissants, donuts and loaves.
Workers want a 15% wage increases over three years. The company are currently offering wage increases of 4%, 3.75% and 3.5% each year.
Comment attributable to UWU Food and Beverage Coordinator Adam Auld:
“Workers have made the hard decision to take strike action today because the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite after years of prices for essential goods and services going up. Wage offers with a 3 or a 4 in front of them just don’t cut it in the face of food, housing, medical, petrol, school and care costs. Workers need a real wage increase.
“This strike should send a clear message to senior management that workers need real wage increases and respect at a time of chronic financial stress for families. We will be calling on CEO David Pitt and CPO Mofoluwaso Ilevbare to come and hear from workers in Altona and intervene in these negotiations so that workers can get back to work producing the baked goods we love.”
Comment attributable to a United Workers Union member at Allied Pinnacle:
“Workers at Allied Pinnacle work through all hours of the night making sure the baked goods people around Australia enjoy are in the bakeries and supermarkets every day.
“But currently we are the only Allied Pinnacle workers across the country that have a night-shift allowance of 19% while our workmates at other sites receive the standard 30%.
“This has to change and workers in Altona are demanding respect. We’re calling on senior management to intervene so we can get back to work.”