The union representing Apple Store workers in Australia has called a strike amid ongoing negotiations for a new pay and conditions agreement.
The strike, agreed to by members of the Retail and Fast Food Restaurant Workers Union (RAFFWU) yesterday, will see some Australian Apple Store workers stop work for an hour on October 18. Syndicate members will also refuse to undertake 15 specific tasks, including accepting deliveries. , installing screen protectors, meeting shop owners or anything related to closing deals with telecom operators. The complete list of prohibited activities is detailed in this document [PDF].
RAFFWU members employed by Apple have unanimously accepted the actions described above, as negotiations between the union and iGiant over a new “company agreement” – an Australian construction that sets working conditions for a particular company – proved difficult to conclude. Corporate agreements can be renegotiated periodically, and Apple Australia has happily engaged in this process.
The union offered [PDF] the agreement offers terms including a base salary of AU$31/hour ($19.40), a weekly healthcare allowance of AU$150 ($94), the right to work from home ten days a year , contributions to the employer’s pension fund at a higher rate than required by law, and salaries increase either by 5% per year or by 2.5% more than the rate of inflation, depending on the highest value.
Stable rosters are another request, on the grounds that workers with children cannot easily arrange childcare if their working hours change frequently. Additional pay for working late or weekends is another request.
The workers also want Apple to provide them with five shirts and pay a laundry allowance of AU$1.50 ($0.94) for each shift.
The strike is not certain. Workers will only withdraw their jobs if Apple submits its own proposal for a new company agreement without first seeking union approval. Apple is within its rights to offer its deal directly to workers without union approval.
This condition reflects a central concern of RAFFWU: that Apple is not negotiating in good faith and has rushed the negotiations.
But Apple Store employees aren’t required to be RAFFWU members, and it’s not clear that a majority have that status. It is therefore possible that a vote on the company agreement will continue and pass without a majority of union members who work for Apple approving it.
In Apple’s last full fiscal year, FY21, the company had revenue of $365.8 billion and net income of $94.7 billion. It’s hard to guess from public records how much of that can be attributed to its Australian operations or company-owned outlets – but it’s probably fair to say the Cupertino-based giant can afford the shirts – and probably a lot of the Union. other requests.
The register asked Apple for comment and will update this story if we receive a substantial response. ®
