Warehouse battles strike threat

The Warehouse says it is keen to continue negotiations after union members voted to strike over proposed new working conditions.

The National Distribution Union (NDU), which represents 2000 Warehouse staff, said the company had offered a pay rise which would essentially follow inflation in exchange for contracts which could see staff working longer weeks and their shifts changed during peak periods, such as the lead-up to Christmas, without consultation.

"They can increase people's hours up to 10 hours a day or 50 hours a week and they want to remove the existing rights of staff to challenge those changes," NDU organiser Simon Oosterman said yesterday.

In a statement today the Warehouse said the new contract offer followed a programme called Project Invigorate, implemented over the past 18 months, which aimed to improve store efficiency.

Chief executive Ian Morrice said management had spoken with 7545 team members during that period and all permanent staff had been invited to attend one-on-one meetings with store managers.

The company said of the 7545 people consulted, agreement was reached with all but 28 who wanted to involve independent mediation - with only 12 cases remaining unresolved today.

"In an economic environment where many retailers have offered minimal or no pay increases, The Warehouse has awarded a 3 percent pay increase to all waged employees from August 1 this year, offering a starting wage of no less than $12.88 per hour.

"The Warehouse has also increased its staff retention rates from 65 percent in 2006/07 to 78 percent in 2008/09." However, at stop work meetings yesterday, staff voted in favour of industrial action.

The Warehouse said collective negotiations had not been completed when the vote was taken and it had extended an offer to pick up where they left off. It also offered to bring in external mediators.

"To date, there has been no response from the NDU," it said.

The union said roster changes had already driven staff to resign and those leaving had not been replaced, increasing the burden on remaining workers. It said staff should be compensated for the extra workload, more staff recruited for the Christmas period and a new contract negotiated next year.

The NDU also claimed today that bonuses for non-unionised staff had been threatened in response to the strike announcement.

Mr Oosterman said it was an unusual approach for the company to take.

"Warehouse workers have very real concerns about a continued deterioration of their conditions, and the company's response is to threaten to not pay out non-union members pay and bonuses, after union members spoke out."

No one was imediately available from The Warehouse to comment about the claim that that bonuses were under threat.