Tuesday, 26 November 2024

Industrial relations

Gary MAAS (Narre Warren South) (13:18): You would think that the brand and reputational damage that Woolworths is sustaining through its appearances at the ACCC over claims of price gouging during the burden of a cost-of-living crisis would be enough, but no, Woolworths has forced 1500 of its warehouse workers throughout Victoria and New South Wales out on strike not only for a better pay deal but also to be treated with some dignity and respect and not like robots, which is what their framework – the Woolworths productivity system known as ‘framework’ – is currently doing.

It was really terrific to go out and speak to the workers out in Dandenong South at their distribution centre, which I know the member for Cranbourne did as well, to speak to workers who actually live in my electorate and to hear what they are going through. Hats off to them and also to those at the liquor DC in Laverton North, the regional DC in Barnawartha and over the border at Erskine Park in New South Wales. I would like to congratulate their union for bringing them all together. Unions know when they see an unsafe productivity system, and they just want their workers treated fairly. We all stand in solidarity with those Woolworths workers.