Thousands of truck drivers employed by transport giant Toll are on a 24-hour strike after wage negotiations broke down over plans to use cheaper contractors with fears that food and fuel supplies could be disrupted across the country today.
Around 7,000 truck drivers employed by one of Australia's largest transport firms are on strike across the country today, and that could mean disruptions and shortages of food and fuel supplies for some consumers.The drivers are members of the Transport Workers' Union and they are negotiating over their new enterprise bargaining agreement, which determines pay and conditions.
Negotiations broke down because Toll wants to cut overtime for permanent staff and use short-term contractors and workers from labour hire firms on lower wages. With overtime on Sunday those rates nearly double to $43.06 and $50.72 an hour, and they rise again on public holidays. Its customers include supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths, food manufacturer Mondelez and fast food chain McDonalds.
Toll said the strike could disrupt the delivery of medicines including COVID-19 vaccines, but the TWU said it would "ensure" the strike did not delay vaccines or medical supplies.Toll's customers are still expecting deliveries to be made because of the company's contingency plans to use non-union labour.
"Strict border restrictions and the COVID pandemic already has the nation's supply chain under immense strain," she said.
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