Udderly Outraged: Workers Demand Better Conditions in Dairy Strike!

This week, 1400 striking workers in the Victorian dairy industry have set a powerful example of what workers can achieve when they stand together and take action.

Workers from four dairy processing companies – Saputo, Fonterra, Peters and Lactalis – have undertaken a successful 48-hour strike action, which just ended on Friday morning.

The workers – organising through the United Workers Union – have come together across multiple work sites to ask for a fair and reasonable wage increase of 5% per year to help keep up with inflation in the cost-of-living crisis.

It’s a modest ask considering Australia’s inflation rate is currently sitting at 6%.

Despite the fair requests of the unionists on strike, the negotiations have broken down on the side of the multi-national companies involved. If a fair outcome cannot be reached, workers will vote on taking further industrial action that could lead to dairy shortages around the country.

Organising for the sake of regional communities

Apart from the modest ask for a fair and reasonable wage increase, workers are asking for the right to community consultation, which would help protect against these companies making unilateral decisions that devastate the regional communities that host them.

This all comes in the context of Canadian multi-national Saputo recently threatening to shut down half the dairy processing facilities in Victoria.

We are extremely worried about the dairy industry. Saputo has threatened to close half their production facilities in Victoria. If any of these close down, it’s the communities that suffer.

David Clements, unionist on the picket line

Workers are also requesting personal leave that reflects their 12-hour shift pattern, and paid emergency service leave for helping in natural disasters.

Once again, a modest ask from a dedicated workforce that values passionate service to the regional communities they’re a part of.

Setting an example for the entire union movement

On Wednesday, Sally McManus, ACTU Secretary, spoke at a rally of the powerful example the strike sets, not just for workers in the dairy industry, but workers nation-wide who are struggling in the cost-of-living crisis.

Workers who aren’t getting a fair and reasonable wage increase from their employer, and who instead are falling behind, despite many big businesses posting record profits.

Workers across the country are suffering so much [with] the cost-of-living crisis, but not all of them have a strong union like yours. Not all of them have decided to stick together in the way you have, across your different shifts, across your different workplaces, across the different regions… and it’s only when you decide to stick together that you’ve got the power, and YOU have the power, I can see it here today.

Sally McManus, ACTU Secretary

Without workers, there would be no profits, and it’s time for big business to acknowledge this simple fact and respond to the modest call of working Australians.

Join your union today. Stand in solidarity with the UWU Dairy workers. And be a part of bringing about the change we all need as we collectively confront the cost-of-living crisis.