TWU flags mood for strike over enterprise agreement
Enterprise agreement negotiations between the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and Toll have gained a more militant tone.
The union had ramped up the rhetoric, saying its members are prepared to strike after negotiations broke down, resulting in an application to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to hold a vote to go on strike.
“The move will affect almost 7,000 Toll workers who are members of the TWU and would cripple food and fuel supplies across Australia,” it says.
“Toll’s push for a substandard enterprise agreement is aimed at slashing pay and conditions in Toll yards to win work from wealthy retailers and manufacturers by offering low rates.
“The agreement threatens the job security and earning potential of workers by scrapping overtime entitlements, bringing in new workers on far worse pay and conditions, and attempting to remove job security protections which would allow good reliable Toll jobs to be contracted out to the lowest common denominator.”
The company’s position is that its workers get industry-leading pay and conditions.
With the mainstream press sensitive to supply-chain disruption pandemic panic buying emerged last year during lockdowns, the union threat has made headlines.
Strike action will take place in the coming months following a successful ballot of workers, according to the union, which took the opportunity to also lash the advent of the gig-economy.
“This is an outrageous attack on the jobs of hard-working truck drivers,” TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said.
“Over the last year, truckies worked harder than ever and delayed negotiations to assist Toll while the effect on the economy played out.
“During that time, profits have skyrocketed at the wealthy clients whose goods drivers have been transporting.
“They are furious that demand has soared, but transport contracts are squeezed and exploitative gig economy models are expanding in transport such as AmazonFlex, forcing workers to suffer through degraded jobs.”