600 workers at a Distribution Centre in Somerton (Victoria) owned by Coles have been on strike since Tuesday July 10. As a result of a deal done during WorkChoices, their jobs were outsourced to Toll Group, resulting in them having inferior pay and conditions compared to directly employed workers doing exactly the same job at Coles’ other national distribution centre in New South Wales.
The Coles workers are seeking 5 modest claims:
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Time for workers to have with their family: rostered days off for day shift workers and voluntary work on public holidays.
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Shift loadings to be paid for an entire shift and not a couple of hours.
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The automatic right for all casuals to get a permanent job after 6 months work.
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The right to union representation on the job
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Fair wage increases
The workers at the Coles distribution centre are employed by a third party, Toll Group. In many workplaces around Australia, Toll Group are forcing an increasing percentage of their workforce to work as long term agency casuals.
Toll, who are themselves a third party employer for some of Australia’s largest corporations, have been known to use up to five different labour hire agencies in the one workplace. This ensures a large percentage of the workforce don’t have employment protection and remain casualised.
And as the strike enters its seventh day, management at the Coles Somerton National Distribution Centre have inflamed the situation in attacking the rights of working people by seeking injunctions to prevent 20 union members from continuing to picket the site.
We believe this is an attempt on management’s part to try and break the unity of workers instead of negotiating with them in good faith.
There are two things you can do, no matter where you are in Australia, to support the Coles warehouse workers:
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Tell Coles CEO Ian Macleod what you think by signing this petition: http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/coles-stop-exploiting-workers-at-your-somerton-warehouse-improve-conditions-immediately
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Donate to support the Coles warehouse workers. These workers will continue to face economic hardship. Every day they continue a strike that we all benefit from is another day they don’t receive pay from their employer. By making a donation you will ensure those that are brave enough to fight against militant employers are still able to feed their families and live with dignity.
Account name: NUW Vic Coles Somerton Relief Fund
BSB Number: 063 074
Account Number: 10014540
Branch: Commonwealth
Donate to support the Coles workers here: http://www.nuw.org.au/get-informed/news/newsitems/donate-to-support-workers-at-coles-somerton
