In early 2020, Coles Laverton distribution workers led the way on COVID safety by taking immediate strike action over inadequate protections. Within hours, their action forced management to implement proper distancing, PPE, and safety measures, setting a benchmark for warehouse safety during the pandemic. This early action set a powerful example of workers using OHS laws to demand pandemic protections.
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, members of our union at the Coles Distribution Centre in Laverton, Victoria, took decisive stop-work action in March 2020 to demand better safety measures in their workplace. With inadequate PPE, no regular sanitisation, and Coles refusing to implement physical distancing, workers halted operations, insisting on their right to a safe environment. Within hours, Coles conceded to implement the 1.5-metre rule, provide PPE, and introduce regular cleaning and temperature checks. This high-profile action was one of the first of its kind, demonstrating the power of collective action to enforce workplace safety standards and setting a precedent that empowered many other workers across Australia to use occupational health and safety laws to safeguard their health during the pandemic.