Victories

We haven’t stopped fighting for the rights of meat and dairy workers since 1906. Want proof?

• Not a single union worker lost their job during a round of downsizing by JBS Swift in Scone. Read more about how union membership saves jobs.
• When Ingham Cardiff shut down in August 2016, strong union membership meant that more than 100 of the affected workers were able to transition into new poultry jobs, including at the nearby Baiada Beresfield plant.
• Dozens of Tamworth youth have secured starts at local meat processing plants thanks to local labour market testing and campaigning undertaken by determined AMIEU staff.

• Dairy workers at Norco Raleigh have locked in a 10% pay rise over three years, including a 40% increase in leading hand allowances!
• Union workers at the Northern Co-operative Meat Company‘s beef works in Casino have locked in a $22 weekly pay rise (in the first year) under a new three-year agreement negotated by the AMIEU. The deal also includes months of back-pay – a great win for union workers.
• Richmond Dairy union workers scored a win in early 2016 as the AMIEU negotiated a great $26 weekly pay rise (in the first year). This new agreement lasts for two years.
• The union workers at Nestle Smithtown locked in an excellent $30 weekly pay rise (in the first year) under a new three-year areement negotiated by the AMIEU. At a time when industry giants are trying to force wages lower than ever, this is a great win for workers.
• Read more about how AMIEU members took industrial action at multiple beef sites during 2014 to secure pay rises for themselves and their fellow workers.
• The AMIEU stood up to Coles and the SDA when they tried to undercut meat workers at Coles stores, slashing their pay by up to $15,000 a year. We have now had that decision overturned, forcing Coles to return to the original, better-paying agreement.

• Bindaree Beef’s bosses tried to force their staff to come in on Anzac Day 2016 – until union members stood up and said no, forcing the company into a humiliating backdown. Read the full story here.
• Teys Australia was ordered to make good on thousands of dollars in underpayments to staff at its Beenleigh plant in Queensland thanks to the hard work of the AMIEU. Get the story.
• The AMIEU was first on the scene when workers at Baiada Beresfield were gassed with chlorine dioxide in March 2016. We interviewed dozens of workers and held meetings with hundreds more, providing a full report into the incident which was picked up by local newspapers, radio stations and politicians.

• The AMIEU is leading the way in recovering hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay from exploited international workers.
• Over two thirds of accepted underpayment claims from a massive national case against Baiada Poultry have come from the Newcastle & Northern Branch. We’re proud to stand up for all workers in need! We have now secured more than $130,000 in underpayments for exploited Baiada Poultry workers.
• Thanks to our efforts, major national producer Thomas Foods International has been forced to change their practices, bringing contracted international workers in line with direct workers – lifting wages, providing job certainty, and more.