Alcohol and parcel deliveries will be strained on Thursday when workers at three of the country’s largest logistics companies walk off the job in a coordinated strike designed by their union to put pressure on the companies to agree to their pay and job security demands.
The strikes come against a backdrop of problems with international supply chains and sharply increased demand for deliveries caused by lockdown-driven online shopping so severe it has forced Australia Post to twice pause parcel pickups.“Based on performance, these companies should have been the first to provide job security guarantees and fair pay and conditions to reflect workers’ sacrifices and efforts during the pandemic,” Mr Kaine said in a statement.
Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said the transport workers union at StarTrack should accept a deal that was good enough for thousands of their colleagues.“StarTrack strongly rejects that job security is under threat,” a spokesman said, adding the company had made concessions on the TWU’s demands. That includes commitments to pay outside staff the same as its own employees, and requirements for the company to use its own staff before using labour hire.
“If the Communications Minister had accepted workers’ invitation to meet, he would understand that this battle has never been a wages grab,” Mr Kaine said. “He would have heard about the attacks on jobs, intimidation and delay tactics workers have faced while making sacrifices to support their employer.”