| What: | Press Conference as food and beverage workers increase strike action against multi-billion-dollar company PepsiCo and Union lodges application in Federal Circuit Court. |
| When: | 10.30am Wednesday 21 May 2025 |
| Where: | 553 – 567 South Road, Regency Park, South Australia |
| Who: | United Workers Union Lead Organiser Imogen Barker and striking PepsiCo workers. |
More than 150 South Australian PepsiCo workers escalated their industrial action to a full 24-hour stoppage starting at 2.30pm yesterday as a renewed bargaining meeting between the company and the union played out.
However, after several hours of negotiation late yesterday the global food giant failed to address workers’ calls for fair pay and respect in the workplace.
Strike action will continue throughout the day today finishing at 2.30pm, with members holding a mass meeting at 9am today to decide next steps, including escalating industrial action.
In other developments, the United Workers Union (UWU) will lodge an application in the Federal Circuit Court following reports from workers of being targeted and denied shifts after participating in strike action.
At a bargaining meeting on 14 May management at PepsiCo confirmed that employees who indicated their intention to participate in protected industrial action were subsequently removed from the roster and marked as “not required”.
This, along with reports of repeated questioning of workers about their plans to strike – sometimes multiple times per shift – raises serious concerns among workers about intimidation and attempts to create a climate of fear.
“Workers have a legal right to participate in protected industrial action. PepsiCo must respect that right and focus on reaching agreement on fair pay and conditions,” said Mel Gatfield, United Workers Union Director of Food and Beverage.
PepsiCo workers make pantry staples like Smith’s Chips, Doritos and Twisties at the company’s Regency Park facility. They are taking 24-hour strike action after shorter stoppages failed to move the company from its entrenched and unfair position.
“PepsiCo’s refusal to offer a fair deal has left workers with no choice but to turn up the pressure,” Ms Gatfield said. “Workers are not backing down.”
The workers are continuing to demand equal pay for equal work, highlighting a shocking 12 per cent wage gap between PepsiCo’s South Australian and Queensland facilities – despite workers performing the same roles, producing the same products, and facing the same cost-of-living pressures.
This escalation follows years of wage stagnation. Under the previous agreement, which expired in February, South Australian workers received just 7.8 per cent in pay rises over three years – while inflation soared by 15.9 per cent, leaving real wages significantly eroded.
Despite raking in $2 billion in revenue and $106 million in profit in 2023, PepsiCo continues to offer what workers describe as an “insulting” pay deal, further entrenching wage inequality and hardship.
“We’ve turned up to work every day, kept the shelves stocked, and delivered record profits,” said one striking worker. “Now, all we’re asking for is to be paid fairly for the work we do – the same as our workmates interstate.”
PepsiCo’s inaction not only hurts workers, but the South Australian economy. These workers spend their wages locally, supporting cafes, shops, schools, and community services across Adelaide.
“It’s simple: fair wages fuel strong communities,” said Ms Gatfield. “PepsiCo can afford to pay fairly, but instead, they’re choosing corporate greed over common decency.”
Workers first began four-hour stoppages on Thursday 8 May at 4:30pm and will continue to escalate their actions as needed.