Unionists and community members managed to stop an attempt by Woolworths to crush a warehouse strike in Dandenong South, now in its 13th day. Workers at Woolworths warehouses — who are members of the United Workers Union (UWU) — have been on an indefinite strike for better pay and conditions since November 21.
Early on December 1, the corporate media gloated that Woolworths was preparing to bring in scabs to reopen one of their warehouses in Dandenong South on December 2.
A dozen community members mobilised to help defend the picket line. Woolworths backed off until most of the supporters had left.
But its attempts to bust the UWU strike at 2 Portlink Drive, Dandenong South, are ongoing. In-person support is still urgently needed, especially at 5.30am, 1.30pm and 9.30pm.
UWU members are protesting Woolworth’s productivity plan, “the framework”, which compels workers to keep up to a speed metric known as a “pick rate”. Woolworths has had a 100% “pick rate” but it was not enforced.
Workers want this repealed because they are expected to give their all every minute they are on the job, without being able to momentarily stop. Workers say it is dehumanising to be treated like a machine.
They are also demanding a pay rise, to $36 an hour, with further rises indexed to inflation.
Woolworths management claims the two-week strike has, so far, cost it $50 million. It wants the Fair Work Commission to stop workers from picketing four warehouses.
Almost 85% of workers at the Dandenong distribution centre are members of the UWU, according to UWU national secretary Tim Kennedy. Shelves are looking increasingly bare as the holiday season approaches.
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In breaking news, the Building Industry Group (BIG) of unions on December 3 said it was putting its 80,000 members on notice if Woolworths attempts to break the UWU strike.
“Should Woolworths try to break the picket line, the BIG is putting all our members on notice, if the UWU members require support for the picket we will be there in large numbers at a moment’s notice.”
[Show your solidarity with the United Workers Union picket at 2 Portlink Drive, Dandenong South.]