Apple workers go on strike to demand better pay and conditions with stores across Australia hit during the holiday season
- Apple employees go on strike during one of the busiest business times of the year
- Workers will demand better wages and working conditions in a new agreement
- The strike began at 3 p.m. Friday and is expected to continue until Christmas Eve
Apple workers across Australia went on strike over one of the busiest weekends of the year, demanding better pay and working conditions.
The strikes began at 3 p.m. Friday and will continue until Christmas Eve, with shops in Brisbane, Adelaide and Newcastle are the most affected.
Apple workers, who are represented by the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union, warned the tech company they would take action earlier this month.
They demanded that Apple implement better working conditions like fixed rosters, fixed hours, two-day weekends and an annual salary increase.
The strikes come as stores across the country are bombarded with frantic shoppers on the last day of trade before Christmas Day.
Apple workers across Australia went on strike over one of the busiest weekends of the year to demand better pay and working conditions (pictured, an Apple store in Sydney)
The strikes began at 3pm on Friday and will continue until Christmas Eve, with stores in Brisbane, Adelaide and Newcastle bearing the brunt (pictured, queues at an Apple store in Sydney)
In August, the Australian Services Union (ASU) and the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) accused Apple of blocking union consultation with workers trying to win better wages and conditions.
They claimed the tech giant refused to extend the deadline for consultation with its staff and was “illegally” rushing employees into a new corporate agreement.
They allege the tech giant denied their request to extend consultation with staff members until August 19, but Apple denies setting time limits.
Under the new agreement, employees will be paid $27.64 per hour or a minimum of $54,617 – a 2.5% wage increase.
“Apple is committed to providing a great experience for our customers and our teams, and is proud to reward all of our valued team members in Australia with strong compensation and exceptional benefits,” a spokesperson said in a statement. communicated.
Union representatives alleged before the Fair Work Commission on Friday that Apple breached principles of good faith bargaining (pictured, an Apple store in Sydney)
Workers would only qualify for overtime if they work more than 76 hours per fortnight, excluding the evening reward rates for working from 6pm to 10pm.
In a statement, Apple denied having “set deadlines” for salary consultations and said its intention was to reach a new corporate agreement.
In August, a spokesperson said the company would continue to hold regular meetings to share and encourage feedback and that the company was happy to offer “very solid” compensation to its workers in the form of annual grants. in shares.
“We announced our intention to enter into a new corporate agreement in early August, and we welcome this opportunity to participate and engage with our team members,” they said.
Union officials called the deal ‘substandard’ and ‘unAustralian’ (pictured, an Apple store in Sydney)
“Throughout this process, Apple has not set any deadlines and we will continue to hold regular meetings to share and encourage feedback.”
SDA national secretary Gerard Dwyer said Apple employees were entitled to pay rises to keep up with record inflation rates and the rising cost of living.
“For a company that makes at least $11 billion a year in profit from its Australian operations, its behavior is simply un-Australian,” he said.
Apple is estimated to employ around 4,000 people across Australia.
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