Transport workers have notified StarTrack, FedEx and BevChain of strike action this Thursday if the companies fail to present a fair agreement offer.
Last week, TWU members achieved significant movement on job security protections at StarTrack, FedEx and BevChain, but after six months of negotiations, in-principle agreements have still not been reached, the union said in a media statement today.
TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said transport workers are facing ideological battles at StarTrack and FedEx who are deliberately playing games with workers’ lives.
“As good deals are reached locking in strong job security clauses and fair pay and super increases across major transport operators, StarTrack and FedEx are exposed as outliers persisting with their attacks on workers and trying to profit off the pandemic,” said Kaine.
“On the one hand, you have a government-owned company which has deliberately delayed reaching an agreement to swindle workers for as long as possible. On the other, an international union-busting juggernaut which pulled in over US$5 billion in net profit last year.
“Based on performance, these companies should have been the first to provide job security guarantees and fair pay and conditions to reflect workers’ sacrifices and efforts during the pandemic.
“Instead, they have pushed workers to the brink with no choice but to pursue legal industrial action to break the impasse before the Christmas surge in demand.”
Last week, a senate inquiry into job security heard from a StarTrack employee that some labour hire workers on visas claim to be engaged through ABNs and paid a flat rate of $25 an hour, amounting to illegal sham contracting.
The company claims an investigation looked at a handful of payslips, failing to address the issue associated with visa-holders.