Apple workers in Australia prepare to go on strike over salary delays, benefits negotiations on October 18

news7f10/23/2022

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A union representing Australian employees of iPhone maker Apple has voted to go on strike due to the lack of progress in wage negotiations, a union official said on Tuesday.

An hour-long strike scheduled for October 18 will disrupt the tech company’s store operations in the country and add to the pressure the company is facing elsewhere on labor relations.

The strike is expected to involve about 150 AppleThe union says the 4,000 Australian employees are represented by the Association of Retail and Fast Food Workers (RAFFWU), which restricts most customer service at at least three of the company’s 22 stores in the country. this.

According to RAFFWU, the strike will be the first for Apple in Australia, and expands the company’s global reach for collective bargaining as well as rising cost-of-living pressures driving Chinese employees. States of Apple and other large companies such as Amazon union success.

In Australia, Apple began a round of union negotiations by proposing in August a new set of restricted wage increases and conditions. RAFFWU and two other unions reached out to an industry arbitrator in September seeking more time to negotiate, which was approved, the unions and Apple said.

RAFFWU federal secretary Josh Cullinan told Reuters by phone: “We got to the bottom of today and we still haven’t reached a satisfactory agreement anywhere, so the members last night got into it. unanimously endorse that path.”

“When a large group of workers leave, that has an impact.”

Workers represented by RAFFWU in most Australian Apple stores will go on strike but the impact will be strongest in stores with more representation, Cullinan said.

The three unions say they want Apple to ensure wage increases reflect inflation – tracking around 7% in Australia, double the central bank’s target range – and a two-day weekend in a row instead of being split. cut.

Apple says its minimum wage is 17% higher than the industry minimum, and full-time workers will be guaranteed weekends off.

“We are committed to providing the best possible experience (for our employees), including very high compensation and benefits, an annual stock allowance and a comprehensive leave policy, all all exceed Australian industry standards,” an Apple spokesperson said on Tuesday.

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