Workers from one of many greatest tech shops on the planet have walked off the job two days earlier than Christmas, and refused to work their rostered shifts on Christmas Eve.
Across the nation, workers from tech large Apple have gone on strike, arguing in opposition to rostering selections over the Christmas interval and higher pay circumstances.
The employees on strike are all a part of the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU), who battle for “all retail and fast food workers in Australia.”
RAFFWU secretary Josh Cullinan informed NCA NewsWire round 200 union members had both walked off the job at 3pm on December 23, or didn’t flip as much as their rostered shift.
“A big thing for them was to go home and spend time with their families, because they’re basically treated like casuals and they have to work whenever they’re told to work,” Mr Cullinan stated.
“That’s one of things we want to change.”
Mr Callinan stated that regardless of the vast majority of the workers holding half time contracts, they’re handled like informal workers and being paid much less, all whereas working beneath the expectation they’ve full availability for rostering.
“That is the issue – Apple actually doesn’t employ any casuals, they employ part timers but treat them like casuals,” he stated.
“One of our arguments is that casual workers at JB Hi-fi that sell iPhones get paid more.”
Similarly, Apple employees additionally went on strike in October, with one other 200 union members stopping work for the tech large for an hour between noon and 1pm.
Workers went on strike to “replace their old rotten zombie agreements” after engaged on a cope with the business that may see cuts to their “conditions and wages” to beneath Award minimums.
Mr Cullinan stated the employees who selected to strike over Christmas as a substitute of working their rostered shifts can’t technically be punished for doing so beneath union agreements, however as a substitute had been giving up any rights to be paid for these hours.
“It’s a very convoluted process, the laws are very restricted now,” he stated.
“They are protected – they can’t face any consequences – but they also aren’t paid for the time they’re on strike so that’s a consequence for them.
“But they are protected in their actions.”
Mr Cullinan stated the primary shops affected had been in Brisbane and Adelaide, however investigations by the Courier Mail discovered that the 2 suburban Queensland Apple shops in Chermside and Carindale had been buying and selling usually.
