Over 1,200 Toll workers across three states launched coordinated strike action in 2021, shutting down seven major distribution centres across SA, NSW, and Victoria. Through their united stand, they won above average annual pay rises, hundreds of new permanent jobs, and crucially blocked the company from using dodgy site agreements to undercut future workers.
In a defining moment for our union and the logistics sector, 1,200 union members across seven Toll distribution centres in Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales launched a powerful, coordinated strike to end the race to the bottom on wages in third party logistics. United Workers Union members from sites at Altona North, Somerton, and Tullamarine in Victoria; Yennora and Prestons in New South Wales; and Penfield in South Australia walked off the job together, creating a major logistical disruption in the lead-up to the Christmas season and displaying the strength and demanding the end of Greenfield agreements that undercut hard earnt waged and conditions of workers in this industry. For too long Toll had been opening new warehouses, then shifting workers on higher wages and conditions to the new site where they would start from the bottom again, undermining the work our members had put in to get improved conditions.
After two days on strike, members secured a groundbreaking agreement that included a 3% annual pay rise, over 100 new permanent jobs, and improved redundancy rights. A key outcome of this strike was a commitment from Toll that all future warehouses would be covered by the statewide agreement, blocking the company from using greenfield agreements at new sites to undercut wages and conditions. This win helped set a new industry standard in warehousing and logistics, where the tactic of greenfield agreements has long been used to drive down wages. Our unionÕs victory ensures that new Toll facilities will uphold the hard-won rights and pay scales that members fought for. This landmark strike sets a powerful precedent, proving that when our members come together in solidarity, they can take on corporate giants and win.