COVID-19 vaccines and other medical supplies will continue to be delivered by TOLL truck drivers around Tasmania today as up to 400 workers in the state join a national strike to fight for job security.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations between the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and Toll Group failed on Tuesday, leading to a 24-hour strike on Friday, including protest actions in Launceston and Burnie.
For Tasmania, it means a 24-hour backlog of delivery supplies for Cadburys, Cascade Brewery,Bunnings, Coles, Woolworths, and the Nystar Zinc Works.
The talks with TOLL includes pay rises, but the major sticking point for unions and workers is an attempt by the company to outsource staff through hire labor arrangements, putting into jeopardy the full time employment of thousands of workers.
TWU heads of agreement committee state representative James Scott, of Launceston, said workers had been forced to take strike action because their jobs are under attack, this included truckies "the heroes of the nation".
He did not rule out further strike action.
"We are scared of the fixed term contracts that basically promotes a TOLL underclass on lower conditions. The company want to engage a lower paid insecure workforce to do the same work as employees, which will ultimately squeeze out our good, safe transport work in Tasmania," Mr Scott said.
"I believe they are going to have to listen. I believe that this action across Australia will force their hand."
Mr Scott also quashed any rumours about the strike preventing delivery of COVID-19 vaccines.
"We would make sure that would never happen. We do not affect medical supplies, we don't mess with people's lives."
Up to 7000 workers across Australia, including wharf workers, distribution centre staff, forklift drivers and the national trucking fleet, are striking,
Transport Workers' Union Victoria and Tasmania secretary John Berger said the unions would be meeting with TOLL next week, ahead of a planned takeover by private equity firm Allegro Funds.
"If we don't get these job security clauses before Allegro takeover, and that is next Wednesday, then the precarious nature of not having security of employment is going to be twice as bad," Mr Berger said.
"Precarious employment is just not a thing that you want to have to sustain your mortgages, to pay all your bills.
"Equally, this is a safety issue. We have people upwards of 25 years experience. If you start to get people in who are inexperienced, who don't know the roads, what might that mean for the safety of Mums and Dad's heading to work and taking their kids to school?"
