Statement attributable to United Workers Union National Secretary Tim Kennedy regarding the Woolworths warehouse workers strike:
Today workers across three warehouses in Victoria and one in NSW have voted to accept a revised offer from Woolworths after being on strike for 17 days.
More than 1500 workers and their families have been forgoing pay while on strike in their struggle to be treated as human beings, not robots, and improve wages in a cost-of-living crisis.
This strike was primarily about addressing workers’ concerns with Woolworths Framework, and they remained strong because they believed their bodies were on the line.
Negotiations with the company finally saw real movement from Woolworths this week on its ‘Framework’, with a new clause to be added to workplace agreements that ensures that the workers will not be disciplined for the speed that they can work at, and an acknowledgement that not everybody can pick at 100%.
The new enterprise agreement won by workers breaks the link between measuring the speed of their work and automatic punishment if they fall behind – a system that effectively attempted to treat Woolworths warehouse workers like robots.
Workers’ wages will increase with above-inflation increases across all sites to help families in a cost-of-living crisis.
Comments attributable to UWU National Secretary Tim Kennedy:
“Today, warehouse workers at Woolworths have saved Christmas. But more importantly, they have challenged one of the most significant threats to worker safety and well-being as we enter a new AI-surveillance era of work. And they have won.
“This has been a very hard struggle to get to this point, with workers forgoing pay on strike for 17 days to stand united against a punitive performance management system, Woolworths called the Framework.
“This dispute is important because it was about the right of workers to have input into how AI algothrimic systems can be used to set the speed of work to undertake surveillance at work, and ensure a system that is transparent, fair and respects fundamental humanness of people.
“Breaking the link between measuring the speed of workers and automatic discipline if they fall behind is a significant achievement of the workers, and a sign that workers will have a say about how work is regulated as we move from the industrial age to the AI digital age.
“The community support for these workers has been incredible. And we would like to thank everyone who visited workers on strike, cooked for workers and families, donated money and sent messages of support. With your support workers have ensured Woolworths must prioritise the safety and well-being of workers above all else.
“We are a democratic, member-led union. Workers have voted today to accept the new offer from Woolworths. They have voted to return to work. Soon shelves at Woolworths stores will be full again.