Unions representing Tasmanian maintenance workers are rallying today after another round of failed pay negotiations with dairy giant Saputo.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) and the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) are launching a nationwide boycott of Saputo dairy products after the multinational reneged on an in-principle agreement to address pay disparity experienced by Tasmanian workers.
Maintenance workers at the processor’s Burnie site in North-West Tasmania have been on indefinite strike following a protracted stoush over mainland rates of pay.
Workers in Burnie are being paid 21% less than their Victorian colleagues. They have been advocating for the disparity to be addressed in the first year of their enterprise bargaining agreement.
On Wednesday, Saputo, now under the direct guidance of national management, made a worse pay offer than it made a month ago.
It comes after the leaders of the AMWU and CEPU met with the head of Saputo’s Australian division last Friday where the company committed to fix parity issues of its workers within the company who do the same job.
It follows the AMWU and CEPU writing to the Canadian CEO of Saputo Dairy this month seeking intervention in the matter.
The unions are now calling for a nationwide boycott of notable dairy brands such as Cheer, Devondale, Cracker Barrel, Great Ocean Road, King Island Dairy, Liddells, Mersey Valley, South Cape, Tasmanian Heritage among others including other processed ingredients manufactured by the dairy processor.
The protected industrial action will see the unions take on Saputo’s biggest clients in Woolworths and Coles in a bid to end the pay dispute.
Negotiations with Saputo Dairy Australia have been ongoing since August 2023.
Media opportunity:
Talent: AMWU’s Mick Wickham (0408 773 900) and CEPU’s Michael Anderson
(0408 337 886) are both available for comment.
When: 28th June 10:00am
Location: Next to Bass Highway, roughly 29-31 Main Rd Wivenhoe.
Quotes attributable to AMWU Tasmanian Organiser Mick Wickham said:
“Saputo has shafted Tasmanian workers with an insulting lowball offer despite multiple remediation steps taken respective to the enterprise bargaining process.”
“We are taking the fight to their doorstep. This will have a significant impact on supermarket shelves.”
“Supporters of these workers have been encouraging and waiting for the call to ban all Saputo products, but striking workers wanted to give all levels of management a fair chance to do the right thing.”
“Tasmanians are no longer the poor cousins. These workers deserve to paid accordingly to their expertise and the skills they employ in their day to day work for Saputo’s production. There should not be a pay gap with the mainland.”
Quotes attributable to CEPU Tasmanian State Secretary Michael Anderson:
“In an epic act of industrial bastardry, Saputo national management, after less than a week ago committing to fix parity issues at a meeting in Sydney, have completely disrespected 24 striking workers by making a worse offer than was in play a month ago.”
“For national management to sit opposite these workers’ representatives last week and claim they wanted to fix parity and now undercut their own offer is pathetic and nasty, which unfortunately for Saputo, will ensure their already crippled Burnie factory will be idle for even longer by their own hand.
“It shows the pure arrogance and disdain for regional workers who dare to ask the company to uphold its own stated values of fairness and equity. We know corporate statements are just branding, but parading themselves as a family friendly company when they do this to workers seeking equity is a disgrace.”
“While not surprised, and not wanting to prolong the dispute for longer than is necessary, workers and their unions are now calling for a complete boycott of all Saputo dairy products found mainly at Woolworths and Coles supermarket chains.”
“Enough is enough, if this company thinks that it can break the spirit of this community with disrespect, they are as wrong now as they have been since negotiations started. We’ll see if 2 million Union members around Australia can change their mind by showing their disgust at the checkout.”
Media contact: Sonia Feng 0478 599 580