Woolworths Warehouse Workers' Strike Shows Strength of United Workers

Written by: Ned K. on 4 December 2024

 

Warehouse workers, members of United Workers Union (UWU), have been on strike since Thursday 21 November 2024.

The strike by 1500 workers across four large Woolworths Distribution Centers (3 in Victoria, 1 in NSW) is "protected industrial action" under the Fair Work Act. Workers are demanding above inflation wage increases and a safe work environment. 

21st Century Taylorism

A safe work environment means no implementation by Woolworths of an artificial intelligence "productivity framework" which records a worker's every move and demands a 100% pick rate at all times by all workers.

As one worker explained, "you wake up, you think, 'how am I feeling today? Can I go to work and can I hit 100%?"

This use of technology by Woolworths is the modern-day form of Taylorism, which was used in car factories from the early decades of the 20th Century to ensure that every minute of a worker's time on the production line contributed to an increase in the surplus value produced by each worker and the workforce as a whole.

While striking workers and their UWU Delegates have said they are prepared to negotiate further on wage outcomes in the new Agreement, Woolworth's 21st Century Taylorist "productivity framework" is just not on.

Over decades of site-by-site enterprise bargaining, Woolworths warehouse workers wages have varied from site to site. One of the demands of the 1500 striking warehouse workers is that the base rate for warehouse workers across all four distribution centers be $38 per hour. 

Over the decades since the individual site enterprise bargaining has been in place Woolworths have played the divide and conquer game to keep wages as low as possible on each site. The lower the wages, the higher the surplus value extracted from workers. 

Their "preferred" union the Shop Distributive and Allied Trades Union (SDA) has been a subservient Woolworths partner by accepting low wage outcomes while members of the more militant union with coverage of warehouse workers (UWU formerly National Union of Workers), in the large Victorian Woolworths warehouses have a history of fighting on for better outcomes.

The current enterprise bargaining situation enabled warehouse workers to take collective strike action at four distribution centers simultaneously, placing the workers in a stronger position. This has been borne out by the growing shortages of goods at Woolworths retail outlets across Victoria, NSW and ACT.

Despite the workers being in a stronger position in their class struggle against the giant retailer Woolworths, the SDA still recommended their members accept Woolworth's low wage offer and the company's "productivity framework". 

This attempt to divide the workers had no real effect as the vast majority of workers are not members of the SDA.

In the second week of the strike, Woolworths announced that they were going to open their Dandenong warehouse.

Workers picketed all three entrances and their solidarity and determination resulted in Woolworths retreating. The warehouse never opened and the bus load of scabs that Woolworths planned to drive through the gates to start working never eventuated.

Then Woolworths did the predictable thing of applying to Fair Work Commission to order that the pickets be declared illegal. The Fair Work Commission hears this application on Friday 6 December.

Support For Striking Workers Widens

The attempts by Woolworths to break the picket line only widened the support for the striking warehouse workers. The Building Industry Group of Unions (CFMEU, ETU and AMWU) pledged support in large numbers at the warehouse gates if Fair Work Commission banned UWU members from the picket line.

By this time the federal Labor Government was sticking its nose in behind the scenes and urging both Woolworths and UWU to let the Fair Work Commission find a resolution of the dispute. This is usually code for getting workers back to work before an acceptable outcome to workers is reached.

Working Class Is the Advanced Class

This strike by 1500 workers shows the power of the working class when they take collective action and keep control of their own struggles. The ruling class, on this occasion represented by Woolworths and the federal government will try and steer the struggle out of workers' hands by using other arms of the capitalist state, such as the Fair Work Commission. 

So far, the UWU through its National Secretary Tim Kennedy has stuck by the workers. Even the ACTU Secretary Sally McManus made an appearance at the NSW Woolworths warehouse where workers are involved in the strike.

The strike by the 1500 workers is a visible reminder of which class is the socially useful class in society and shows that the ruling capitalists are not needed for a society to operate. It is the working class that produces and distributes the goods and services in society.

Lenin once commented that workers learn more by their own collective actions about their power as a class for themselves than a thousand speeches or leaflets.

As objective conditions for workers deteriorate further under capitalism in Australia, and more workers inevitably take collection actions, more will question the nature of the society they live in and recognize that there is an alternative - an independent, socialist Australia where the likes of Woolworths owners no longer exist as a class.

 

 

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