This week, thousands of dairy workers and milk tank drivers will strike across Victoria. There are fears that the strikes may lead to a shortage of cheese and milk.
The United Workers Union (UWU), which represents the workers, has announced that on Wednesday, they will be staging “the biggest dairy strike ever” as they demand better pay and working conditions.
The UWU accused dairy producers like Devondale, Western Star, and Peters of refusing to share their “booming” profits with workers who were only offered pay increases as low as 1.5%.
The UWU released a statement on social media that said, “Big Dairy pushed us to the limit!”
The workers are not asking for wage increases at inflation levels but something that will bring them closer.
Over 1400 workers are taking action at 14 different sites against four major dairy producers, causing fears that ongoing disruptions may cause shortages in milk, cheese, and yogurt.
The ABC reports that the 14 sites include Leongatha in eastern Victoria, Longwarry in Darnum, Mulgrave in Melbourne, and Laverton and Mulgrave in Melbourne.
The Transport Workers Union (TWU) and milk tank drivers in Maffra-Leongatha stopped working early today.
Saputo drivers strike against shift changes and proposed work start times in a new collective bargaining agreement, as well as higher wages.
The farmers are worried that they will be forced to dump their milk because of storage capacity issues caused by the fact that their milk supply is not picked up on time and due to the increase in milk production by spring cows.
In an emotional Facebook video, a UWU member stated that dairy workers continue to receive Centrelink payments even though they work five days per week.
The first strike will start on Wednesday at 6 am. It is unclear if any disruptions in milk supply are to be expected.