United Workers Union National Secretary Tim Kennedy regarding today’s negotiations in Woolworths warehouse workers strike:
02 december,2024
*Union media page from the United Workers Union
“Woolworths warehouse workers are still talking to Woolworths about resolving the current strike.
“United Workers Union is committed to advancing the safety of its members through these negotiations, and Woolworths should be listening to them in this process.
“Warehouse workers have been engaged in good faith negotiations for almost seven months as they have raised concerns about the punitive framework that expects workers to achieve a 100 per cent bench mark, 100 per cent of the time, pushing them into unsafe work practices as they rush to meet deadlines. They are also fighting for a fair pay rise.
“In terms of shortages on shelves and Woolworths’ statements about the impact of the strike, we have consistently said that Woolworths is in a position to end this strike right now by agreeing to a reasonable outcome with workers – and they should do so today.
“Business groups may well come out and support the dangerous, inhumane and unsafe productivity framework but you can bet they are not being marked out of 100 in real time every time they perform a task.
“A safe workplace that treats workers as humans, not robots, and fair pay increases to help workers survive the ever-growing cost of living, is what is needed to end this strike.
“Woolworths have been gouging families at the check out and gouging workers in their pay packet for too long.”
Statement of United Workers Union National Secretary Tim Kennedy regarding today’s negotiations in Woolworths warehouse workers strike:
“All workers across Australia deserve to be safe at work.
“Threats of industrial escalation against their own staff should not be part of the tactics Woolworths deploys
against workers as they stand up for their safety.
“United Workers Union members filed more than 2200 individual disputes with the Fair Work Commission to protest the punitive “framework” Woolworths introduced at the start of 2024.
“The framework introduced disciplinary action if warehouse workers fail to achieve a 100 per cent score for every task they completed, across every day.
“Workers are not robots and should not be treated like robots. But this is exactly what Woolworths is seeking to do for thousands of workers across their warehouses.
“United Workers Union continues to negotiate with Woolworths on behalf of our members and we are pleased to see that after 12 days on strike and thousands of protests, the company has shown signs of finally understanding how important this issue is to workers.
“We have seen Woolworths threaten escalating industrial conflict, and the importation of aggressive US-style industrial relations tactics is regrettable.
“But today’s negotiations show Woolworths the way they should be resolving this issue – by talking with and listening to their workers.
“We are hopeful of a breakthrough because our workers deserve to be safe at work.
“Woolworths says it is moving to address supply shortages that are occurring across the network.
“But Woolworths continues to have the ability to end this strike right now, relieving pressure on workers and consumers.
“A safe workplace that treats workers as humans, not robots, and fair pay increases to help workers survive the ever-growing cost of living, is what is needed to end this strike.
“Woolworths have been gouging families at the check out and gouging workers in their pay packet for too long – it’s time they shared the profits around.”
