by Cam Lucadou-Wells
Shelf-bare supermarket giant Woolworths has filed for Fair Work Commission orders to disband a picket line blocking its regional distribution centre at Dandenong South.
Workers, union officials, Victorian Socialist members and cars have been parked across entry points to the massive Melbourne South Regional Distribution Centre (MSRDC) since Monday 2 December.
The blockade has thwarted Woolworths’ intentions to reopen the warehouse on Monday and Tuesday.
As a result, many of Woolworths supermarket shelves across Melbourne are increasingly short of stock across many lines, particularly nappies, toilet paper and drinks.
The MSRDC site is said to be the most significant of the four warehouses hit by industrial action and the cause of 42 per cent of the stock shortage, according to Woolworths.
Meanwhile, workers have forgone pay for the past two weeks after going on indefinite strike over an EA pay offer and performance targets on 21 November.
UWU national secretary Tim Kennedy said the workers were fighting for “fair pay” and against “unsafe work practices”.
“Warehouse workers have been engaged in good faith negotiations for almost seven months as they have raised concerns about the punitive framework that expects workers to achieve a 100 per cent bench mark, 100 per cent of the time, pushing them into unsafe work practices as they rush to meet deadlines.
“We have consistently said that Woolworths is in a position to end this strike right now by agreeing to a reasonable outcome with workers – and they should do so today.”
In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange, Woolworths claims the dispute has cost $50 million in food sales as of 2 December, with the full financial impact unknown.
“It will be dependent on the duration and the extent of the ongoing industrial action across the affected sites, and the time taken to rebuild inventory ahead of the Christmas trading period.”
Woolworths has also filed an urgent application to the FWC to prevent UWU blockading four distribution centres in Victoria and NSW, including the MSRDC.
It alleges the union had breached good faith bargaining requirements in the Fair Work Act.
Woolworths claims that the majority of MSRDC workers wished to return to work, but that the UWU had refused to give an assurance of safe passage.
It also claims most of the site’s workforce are not unionised – which the UWU disputes.
“The UWU chose to block the site entry points at MSRDC with cars and protestors, which created an unsafe environment for team members who had shown up to work.
“We will again be attempting to operate MSRDC today, and we will follow the advice of the Victorian Police to ensure the safety of our team.”
The matter had not yet been listed for hearing.
On the EA negotiations, Woolworths has stated the UWU was seeking “materially above inflation” pay rises of more than 25 per cent over three years.
Woolworths was offering hourly rates about 40 per cent above the Award rate, it stated.
It claims its controversial performance targets were developed with “safety as an inherent component”, and that the UWU was demanding “no enforceable performance standard or rate”.
A Woolworths Group spokesperson called on the UWU to “do the right thing” and allow it to re-open the MSRDC.
“As long as they continue to block access to our site, our customers will continue to face shortages on shelves in Victoria.
“Their members at the site have every right to take industrial action, but it’s not right to stop people working who want to work, and customers being able to access their essential food and grocery products in our supermarkets.”
At the picket line, UWU official Andy Giles said “our members’ resolve is still strong and they’ll be here as long as it takes”.
“We’re hopeful that it will be over sooner rather than later.
“Everybody’s focus should be on reaching resolution today. That’s what our focus will be on, and we hope Woolworths will be the same.”
