Milk tank drivers and thousands of dairy workers will proceed with industrial action across Victoria this week, sparking fears the strikes could spill over into milk and cheese shortages.
The United Workers Union (UWU) said the “biggest dairy strike in living memory” will occur on Wednesday as workers call for increased pay and better working conditions.
The UWU has accused dairy producers such as Devondale, Western Star and Peters of refusing to share “booming” profits with workers, who are now demanding 5 per cent pay rises.
“Big Dairy has pushed us too far!” the UWU said in a statement published to social media.
“Workers aren’t even asking for inflation level wage increases, just something that brings them a little closer.”
More than 1400 workers will take action for 48 hours against four major dairy processors across 14 sites, sparking fears ongoing disruptions could cause shortages of milk, cheese and yoghurt.
UWU national secretary Tim Kennedy said workers “don’t make this decision lightly”.
“Dairy workers have been dedicated, especially during the pandemic, with some even agreeing to wage offers as low as 1.5 per cent to support their companies,” he said.
“But with the soaring cost of living, they believe it’s time for change.
“This is more than a wage tug of war; it’s about safeguarding the heartbeat of our regional communities.”
According to the ABC, the 14 sites include Leongatha, Longwarry and Darnum in eastern Victoria as well as Mulgrave and Laverton in Melbourne.
The industrial action will target dairy giants Saputo, Fonterra, Peters and Lactalis.
More than 150 milk tank drivers, supported by the Transport Workers Union (TWU), stopped work early this morning in the Maffra and Leongatha region.
The drivers, who work for the Canadian-owned dairy giant Saputo, are striking against proposed shift change notifications and work start times under a new enterprise bargaining agreement as well as for higher pay.
TWU Branch Secretary Mike McNess said eight months of negotiations broke down on Friday following failed crisis talks between the union and Saputo.
“Negotiations have been drawn out and have gone stale, Saputo has elected not to stand by their own self-declared ethics and are now squeezing our hardworking drivers in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis,” he said.
“They’re demanding more, pushing them harder, and not giving them the fairness, they need to secure their futures.
“It’s time that Saputo gets to the table, gives hardworking truckies a fair deal and guarantees these drivers a future in the industry by addressing key job security concerns.”
Farmers are concerned they may be forced to dump milk due to storage capacity constraints caused by their supply not being picked up as scheduled as well as the increased amount of milk produced by cows in spring.
One UWU member said in an emotional video posted to Facebook that some dairy workers still receive Centrelink payments despite working five days a week.
Dairy worker strikes will begin on Wednesday at 6am, while it remains unclear whether any disruptions to milk supply can be expected.
