Australia - Thousands of delivery workers strike across the country with massive delays expected for all parcels

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ected.html

>Up to 2000 StarTrak employees went on strike from midnight over a pay dispute
>Transport Workers Union says the employees make up 70 per cent of workforce
>They wants labour hire staff to have the same pay conditions as regular workers

Workers at a major parcel delivery service are striking across the country, dealing another blow to Australia's overwhelmed postal system.

Up to 2000 StarTrack employees walked off the job at midnight, after crisis talks and a bid to have the strike action blocked both failed on Wednesday.

The Transport Workers Union says this makes up 70 per cent of the total workforce, but StarTrack says barely a third of the total workforce voted to strike.

The company petitioned the Fair Work Commission on Wednesday to block or delay the strike, claiming it would jeopardise lives and health by impacting vaccine supply.

But the TWU said they had promised to support any medical deliveries, and the FWC on Wednesday night ruled the strike could proceed.

Meetings between StarTrack and the TWU on Wednesday also failed to secure a solution to a dispute over pay and conditions.

The workers want the company to guarantee labour hire workers will receive the same pay and conditions as regular employees and caps on the use of lower-paid external workers.

They also want to be offered work before the company contracts it out.

But a spokesperson for StarTrack said its final offer to the TWU - a nine per cent pay rise over three years - was the best among its competitors, and rejected union fears of job insecurity.

'We are disappointed that the TWU is doing this at a time when the delivery of essential items has never been more important, particularly those in vulnerable regional communities requiring essential supplies,' Michelle Skehan said.

'We have prepared and have contingencies in place including the reallocation of resources to ensure that any delivery impact is minimised.'

Australians are already facing unusual wait times for deliveries, as Australia Post - which owns StarTrack - struggles under the pressure of a lockdown-induced online shopping blitz.

The postal service earlier this month paused parcel collection services for online retailers for three days in NSW, Victoria and the ACT, which are all in lockdown.

Transport Workers' Union National Secretary Michael Kaine said it’s a time delivery services should be rewarding workers.

'We know the national community would be ashamed that this mistreatment of workers is going on at a government-owned company enjoying record revenues off the backs of its workforce,' he said.

'Demand is sky-high, but standards are at rock bottom.'

Thousands more workers at FedEx, Linfox and Bevchain have also voted to endorse strike action over the last week, he said.