Workers at Apple Stores across the country are set to continue industrial action after more than two-thirds voted against a non-union enterprise agreement.
The Retail and Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU), which is representing Apple workers, said on October 31 that more than 2000 workers voted against the “rotten deal”.
This is more than half of Apple’s retail workforce.
Apple proposed an agreement not only containing a real wage cut, it would have meant workers are rostered on for 60 hours a week without overtime.
Apple workers took their third day of strike action on October 29, with about 200 workers taking a one-hour stoppage.
This followed a 24-hour strike on October 22 and a one-hour stop work on October 18.
Workers implemented bans from October 19, including on handling cash, repairing headphones and handling deliveries.
These are the first national retail strikes in Australian history.
RAFFWU secretary Josh Cullinan has promised more strikes and escalating bans until Apple agrees to the workers’ calls for a fair enterprise agreement.
These include a wage rise that matches inflation and better conditions for workers, particularly around rostering.
RAFFWU is holding a meeting for all Apple workers on November 2 at 8pm to discuss the next steps.
Cullinan told The Age: “Members will be talking about how they deal with general customer service, whether there are bans on other sorts of transactions, whether repairs and diagnostics are banned …
“Our members have been really interested and engaged with the strikes and the stoppages, so I expect members will be talking a lot about what pattern of strikes or stoppages they need to take to force Apple to make a fair offer.”
[Support Apple workers by donating to their strike fund.]