Workers in Truganina and beyond strike for safety, fairness, and against intrusive surveillance.
Approximately 1,500 warehouse workers employed across four Woolworths distribution centres in Australia, including the Melbourne Liquor Distribution Centre in Truganina, Victoria, have initiated an indefinite strike. The industrial action aims to demand fair pay, improved workplace safety, and equal rights for workers at all Woolworths sites.
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Central to the workers’ grievances is opposition to “The Framework,” a surveillance and algorithm-based management system implemented by Woolworths. The system tracks employees’ movements, enforces unachievable work rates, and determines casual workers’ shifts based on adherence to these benchmarks. Workers claim that the system fosters a dehumanising and unsafe work environment, particularly for those tasked with heavy-duty operations such as lifting tonnes of goods on forklifts. They argue that the pressure to meet high performance targets forces unsafe practices, endangering both workers and workplace safety standards.
Union representatives are calling on Woolworths to address these concerns and are urging the public to show support. Community members are encouraged to stock up on essential items like toilet paper and frozen goods, as the strike is expected to cause significant supply chain disruptions, potentially leading to empty shelves in Woolworths stores.
Supporters are invited to join community assemblies at key strike locations, including the Melbourne Liquor Distribution Centre in Truganina, MSRDC in Dandenong South, Erskine Park in New South Wales, and the Wodonga Regional Distribution Centre. For those unable to attend in person, messages of solidarity can be sent via the United Workers Union’s website at uwu.org.au/woolies.
The workers’ demands reflect broader calls for corporate accountability and safe, equitable working conditions in Australia’s logistics and retail sectors. Woolworths has yet to respond publicly to the strike action.
