Majors Industrial Action for Secure Jobs By Tim Dawson | Branch Secretary We are stronger when we stick together and stand firm, and the public will always stand behind the transport workers who have kept our communities going
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fter deferring bargaining in 2020 to put us in a stronger position to negotiate, 2021 has been our opportunity to lock in better agreements that secure the future and improve pay, superannuation, and conditions for TWU members. And that’s exactly what we’ve done. Congratulations to the thousands of Transport Workers Union members across Australia who in 2021 were a part of a nationwide transport industry fight to achieve job security in the face of immense upheaval. Since March 2020 there’s been mass chaos and uncertainty in the industry, not to mention the spread of insecure work. Transport workers have worked on the frontlines of a global pandemic, keeping our communities stocked with essential supplies while wealthy retailers, miners and multi-national companies at the top of the supply chains make billions in record profits. For years, transport workers have faced a difficult battle. Attacks on jobs, pay and conditions came at them from all angles, but they fought those off and achieved great wins. We’ve seen national 24-hour strikes across multiple companies. We’ve seen unanimous results in protected action ballots, and incredible efforts from the TWU’s negotiating committees. Transport workers have shown that when we stand together, we win. Six of the majors – Toll, Global Express, Linfox, BevChain, Ceva and ACFS – reached strong agreements all within 10 days of each other with companies eager to ward off the threat of a mass day of industry action around Australia, endorsed by TWU members. StarTrack and FedEx proved to be outliers, requiring more strong
action from workers to get the companies back to the table to finalise a decent agreement. Together, we called out and exposed their anti-worker tactics, putting more pressure on management to act responsibly. They took a little while longer, but the pressure of union members worked, and workers WON at FedEX and StarTrack. What this proves is that taking action works. For many members, this was their first ever time taking industrial action, and although it’s always a last resort, the industry race to the bottom meant that it has been more crucial now than ever. We are stronger when we stick together and stand firm, and the public will always stand behind the transport workers who have kept our communities going. Our job now is to enforce our wins over the next two years, before we’re back at the bargaining table and fighting to lift standards in transport with even more of the industry in 2023. The TWU will ramp up our attention on the wealthy retailers, miners and other multi-national companies pushing down standards and crippling supply chains. Retailers like Amazon, which announced profits up 224% to $US8 billion in just the first quarter of this year. Apple said its profits have more than doubled to US$23.6 billion while Aldi’s annual revenue in 2019 was $US109 billion. Bunnings’ revenue grew 24.4% to $9 billion in the six months to December 2020. These profits have skyrocketed because of the hard work of people behind the wheel, but our power is in acting as a collective. Before we know it, it will be time to stand together again, and continue in our fight to change this industry and make it safer for all transport workers. The TWU isn’t finished. Our members are calling out to lift wages and conditions across the transport industry. It is time to stop the drive to the bottom, time to get on board and join the fight to lift wages and conditions. Fight for job security in the most important industry in Australia, when transport workers stop Australia stops. Join the TWU today and let’s work together for a better and safer industry for all. .
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