Four hundred Linfox workers at the Coles Laverton distribution centre are poised to strike on Friday as they take their industrial campaign to customers in a bid to place pressure on the supermarket giant.
National Union of Workers members last week started lobbying customers in their fight for pay and conditions equal to those of other warehouse workers supplying Coles.
Linfox pickers and packers stopped work for 24 hours and collected signatures for a petition outside Coles at Altona last Friday.
Union organiser Matt Toner said western suburbs workers were paid about $5 to $6 an hour less than those doing the same job at other warehouses. He said they received only one paid 15-minute break while their counterparts elsewhere received two.
On Friday, hundreds of people signed the union’s petition, designed to put pressure on Coles and Linfox.
“The reception from the western suburbs community was astounding – we were blown away by the level of support that people were offering,” Mr Toner said.
“I think a lot of shoppers – there were even suppliers and Linfox workers that we randomly met in the public – were critical of Linfox and Coles, and very supportive of the workers. So, a big thank-you to the people of the western suburbs.
“We got hundreds of signatures. The customers want Coles to treat its workers equally. A lot of customers chose to shop elsewhere.”
Mr Toner said the union was aware of a Coles contingency plan, but the absence of 400 workers for a second consecutive Friday was bound to affect supplies.
Coles spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the industrial dispute was between the union and Linfox.
“Coles’ priority is to ensure our customers are unaffected by any strike action,” she said.
“We have put contingency plans in place to minimise the impact of any strike on our customers.”
Linfox declined to comment.
