Workers Strike at PepsiCo's Snack Foods Factory - An Example of The Leading Class In Action

Written by: Ned K. on 11 May 2925

About 150 Workers at PepsiCo's Snack Foods factory in Adelaide have commenced a series of strikes involving production workers, store persons and trades workers. Members of three Unions - United Workers Union, AMWU and CEPU - have united to win a better deal in a new Enterprise Agreement. 

The workers’ spirits on the picket lines are high and so is the unity of the workers. Many of the workers are from migrant backgrounds from Asian countries.

They know that the standard of living is higher than in their home countries such as the Philippines, but they are workers in Australia now, so why shouldn't they have enough income like their bosses to be able to pay the mortgage or pay the rent?

Enough income to buy a car to drive to and from work and put food on the table for their families. Not to mention the education needs of their children. They are standing together to have enough income for the necessities of living in this country.

They know that PepsiCo and multinationals like them exploit workers for profit, whether their factories are in the USA, Australia or any other country. 

Workers are demanding a 12% wage increase to equal what PepsiCo workers are paid performing the same work at PepsiCo's Brisbane Snack Foods factory.
PepsiCo told striking workers that they did not deserve wage parity with PepsiCo workers in Brisbane because the cost of living was lower in Adelaide than Brisbane! 

On the picket line, workers laughed when a supporter asked if due to the lower wages in the Adelaide factory, are the supermarket prices of potato chips produced at the Adelaide factory cheaper than those from the Brisbane factory?

Workers said "No way"! They said that they were organized for a long struggle if necessary.

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