The Transport Workers Union (TWU) has warned that thousands of workers from major Australian transport operators will walk off the job nationwide if companies fail to agree to secure work arrangements in ongoing enterprise bargaining negotiations. The proposed national day of strike action has been endorsed by workers at StarTrack, FedEx, Toll, Linfox and BevChain.
No specific timeframe for the national industrial action has been confirmed. Two weeks ago, hundreds of StarTrack workers walked off the job, threatening disruptions to parcel deliveries nationwide. The TWU has been pushing for protections against the rise of outsourcing in the industry in enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) negotiations for the past five months.
TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said, 'In transport, job security is literally a matter of life or death. When work is pushed out to lower paid workers with fewer rights, safety standards plummet.' The union said operators aim to slash secure jobs to cope with the 'Amazon effect' of cost-cutting in supply chains and competition from AmazonFlex.
StarTrack, owned by Australia Post, strongly rejects accusations that job security is under threat. A spokesperson said StarTrack is committed to a strong EBA offer including a market-leading guaranteed pay rise of 9 per cent over three years. FedEx said it will continue to negotiate but is disappointed about the union taking industrial action, stating it is committed to promoting job security while facing situations where outside hire is necessary.
Australia Post reported record revenues of $8.27 billion and a profit before tax of $100.7 million, with StarTrack as its most profitable arm. FedEx reported record full-year results with revenues jumping to $US84 billion. University of Sydney labour law professor Shae McCrystal said industrial action is a fundamental right under the Fair Work Act, and noted that the rise of the gig economy poses risks to the transport industry.
