Food and fuel supplies could be affected over the weekend as thousands of truck drivers pull the handbrake over pay and conditions at a major employer, the transport union says.
It says the dispute over a new enterprise agreement with logistics giant Toll Group will climax with a 24 hour strike on Friday involving as many as 7000 truckies.
In a bid to compete with global giants like Amazon Flex, the Transport Workers’ Union says Toll is aiming to drive down costs “by scrapping overtime entitlements and engaging outside drivers”.
But Toll claims it has the best EBA in the industry and says it will continue to do so once current negotiations conclude.
“One thing we and the union do agree on, our employees deserve a pay rise,” it said in a statement.
“We’ve put a generous offer on the table and are committed to further discussion.”
Much like Uber, Amazon Flex describes it’s model as “you use your own vehicle to deliver packages … as a way of earning extra money.”
“It is an abomination that billionaire retailers like Amazon are smashing profit records while ripping off transport supply chains and crushing the jobs of the truck drivers who’ve risked the health of their families to deliver parcels and keep shelves stocked,” TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said.
“Toll workers have been forced to take the last resort option to go on strike this week because their jobs are being smashed.”
In response Toll Group said it was “disappointed the TWU is threatening industrial action in the middle of a global pandemic”.
“As one of the country’s biggest transport companies, we are well used to managing disruptions to our operations, from bushfires to floods to a global pandemic,” Alan Beacham, Global Express division president said in a statement.
“We can assure customers their goods will be transported during any potential industrial action.”
While the company said industrial activity risks disrupting medical supplies, the union said it’s strike action “has never and will never disrupt medical supplies or vaccines”.
AAP
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