FedEx workers will hold another 24-hour strike on Monday after pay talks broke down.
In good faith, the Transport Workers Union said that FedEx workers had paused strikes planned for yesterday – the second industrial action in the last month – to allow the company to provide a fair agreement offer at a further negotiation meeting.
But the union said FedEx rolled back progression towards an agreement by trying to stretch its length out by another year.
A union media statement released today said members had made great progress in obtaining job security protections, but other terms are now “being attacked, dragging down standards already below those of other major transport operators like Toll and Linfox”.
TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said Australian FedEx workers will not stand for the ‘Amazon-style’, union-busting tactics the company wants to ship over from America.
“FedEx workers are angry their good faith has been twisted, exploited and thrown back in their face this week,” said Kaine.
“While six other transport operators have settled fair agreements in the last two weeks, FedEx is keeping its foot on workers’ necks.
“It is a disgrace that FedEx took the extra time agreed to by workers to change tack and launch a fresh assault on their terms and conditions. These workers generated record multibillion-dollar profits for FedEx but their pay and conditions fall dangerously below those at their competitors like Toll and Linfox.
“When standards are dragged down in transport, it has deadly consequences.”
A FedEx spokesperson told Big Rigs earlier this month that the company is cooperatively negotiating with the TWU to secure an agreement which will provide a fair wage and superannuation increase for employees at the earliest opportunity.
“We are disappointed that the TWU has chosen to take industrial action and is now threatening further industry wide industrial action, despite productive negotiations to date and the impact it will have on customers and the community, especially in these critical times.
“We have tabled an offer which improves current employee entitlements and includes a fair wage and superannuation increase. These increases would come on top of the already above market wage rates and superannuation which we pay our employees, which are higher than many of our competitors.”
National StarTrack strikes took place yesterday after the union said the company refused several requests to meet worker representatives and finalise a fair agreement.