THIS year’s Victorian harvest could be thrown into disarray as grain handlers at GrainCorp sites in NSW vote on whether to down tools over a pay dispute.
Australian Workers’ Union said industrial action was at play after negotiations broke down with the company.
The 200 workers may decide to refuse to load or unload grain trucks and trains after an application was made to the Fair Work Commission to hold a protected action ballot application on Tuesday.
The workers, who move and store wheat, canola, barley and other grains, have seen their pay go backwards in real terms over the last three years, according to the union.
In 2021, 2022 and 2023, grain handlers received an annual increase of two per cent a year, despite inflation rising at a rate of 2.86 per cent, 6.59 per cent and 4.10 per cent respectively, meaning wages have declined by 7.5 per cent.
In 2021, the company made a profit of $139 million, in 2022 of $177 million and $250 million in 2023.
“GrainCorp aren’t negotiating in good faith and their grain handlers have had a gutful,” AWU NSW secretary Tony Callinan said.
“GrainCorp management are just grubs.
“In 2022, we wrote to them saying due to inflation going through the roof they should pay grain handling staff more, and they said if their workers want more money they can work overtime, then they took the overtime away.
“Meanwhile, the top knobs at GrainCorp are giving themselves $25,000 a year increases, one bloke’s on over a $1 million a year, another’s on $700,000 and a few more are on $500,000 plus.”
Mr Callinan said members’ had been bringing in bumper harvests, delivering big profits and “GrainCorp just kicks them in the guts every time”.
“This year has been another good year and with the grain harvest about to commence in the coming weeks AWU members will be taking industrial action during this bumper harvest period,” he said.
“Every extra dollar our members earn ends up in the greengrocers, newsagents and sports shops of Moree, Barellan, Parkes, Trange, Warren, and Gilgandra, it doesn’t go offshore into shareholders pockets in the form of corporate profits.
“Our members in NSW do the same work as members in Queensland and only want to be paid the same, that’s just plain fair, the same pay for the same job, you don’t need an ethics degree to work that out.
“Our members now have no choice, they will have to refuse to load grain trains otherwise GrainCorp management just won’t listen.”
GrainCorp acknowledged the application with the Fair Work Commission.
“We continue to negotiate in good faith with our employees and the AWU, having held 10 meetings with them in the last six months,” a spokesperson said.
“There is a mandatory conciliation between parties at the Fair Work Commission at the end of next week and we will continue to do what we can to work collaboratively through this process.”
The spokesperson was unable to say what, if any, impacts there would be if handlers took protected industrial action.
“Until we have participated in the Fair Work conciliation and the members have taken the formal vote, we are unable to advise whether there will be protected industrial action in NSW and what impact it will have,” the spokesperson told The Guardian.
“GrainCorp proposed a wages offer some time ago and it is significantly higher than the previous agreement and the current inflation rate.
“It is disappointing that the union has indicated that it intends to take industrial action ahead of both this conciliation and a formal vote by its members.
“We respect the rights of our workers to take protected industrial action and remain committed to working collaboratively through this process.
“Our goal is to continue these discussions constructively, ensuring a positive outcome for our employees while maintaining a strong and reliable service for growers on site.”
