Workers in Melbourne’s West will commence 24-hour rolling work stoppages this morning as talks with the logistics company SCT break down over wages. Workers say they are struggling to make ends meet in a long-standing cost of living crisis with housing and essential goods and services going up year on year.
SCT Logistics is a family-owned company founded by Peter Smith, whose sons are the managing director and CEO. Peter Smith’s estimated wealth in 2015 was $167m.
SCT owns and operates over 250,000 sq metres of custom-built warehousing, provides rail and road linehaul services and refrigerated transport services including a large proportion of work for Woolworths.
SCT Logistics has benefited from State and Federal Government funding, receiving $9.2m towards the building of the Altona SCT Logistics Interstate Freight Facility in 2022.
The 2024 Federal budget also included a $540 million funding package to improve interstate rail networks, and with a further $500 million from the Australian Rail Track Corporation’s investment fund – meaning more than $1 billion has been set aside to improve rail infrastructure and therefore increase the efficiency and profitability of freight rail operators in Australia.
Workers are going on strike to improves wages. Currently workers on level 2 earn $31.72 per hour. Workers want to raise this rate to $35 per hour in the first year, which is approximately a 9% increase.
Comment attributable to UWU Director of Logistics Dario Mujkic:
“Workers need real wage rises to survive the cost-of-living crisis they are living through. Costs keep going up and that’s not stopping any time soon. Old-style wage offers of 3% or 4% a year simply don’t cut it these days, because workers need more than that to make ends meet.
“SCT workers are striking because they feel they have no choice. If wages don’t keep up, they suffer. Members do not make these decisions lightly but the challenges they face are real.
“The work these members do is incredibly important work, helping transport food across the country, including perishables. Strike action will have a big impact, especially if it were to continue past this week if there is no improved offer from the company.”
ENDS
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