Workers strike at Apple’s core in unprecedented industrial action

Cullinan said workers walked off the job across the country, both in large numbers, as in Brisbane and Newcastle, or as solitary workers, as was the case in Sydney’s Bondi Junction store.

Joining protesting workers in Brisbane’s CBD on Tuesday was local Greens MP Stephen Bates, who was an Apple retail worker at Chermside, a job he had held for five years, when he was elected to federal parliament in May.

Bates said he worked alongside many of the workers who walked out in Brisbane and knew first-hand what they were protesting against.

“You’re supposed to be available seven days a week and even though you’re hired as part-time or full-time, your roster can change at the last minute, the day before you’re supposed to go in,” he said.

“You can get your shifts cut short, extended, and basically treated like a casual worker, but you don’t get that casual loading, which is exactly why we have casual loading because you’re supposed to be compensated for the flexibility.

“I’m proud to be standing alongside them today.”

As employees, the striking workers were not allowed to speak to media; however, they did converse with one another while knowingly within the range of microphones.

“It felt amazing to walk out together,” a worker identifying himself as “Max” said.

“Walking down the middle of that store, with so many of us, the energy was absolutely amazing.

“We were so lucky that we as a team have been able to band together so strongly about this, I can only hope that this happens again in every Apple store around the world.”

Max said what the workers wanted was achievable.

“We want a living wage that keeps up with inflation,” he said.

“We want work/life balance. We want rosters that are predictable. These are things that other employees around the country get at a minimum.”

RAFFWU members at Apple planned to engage in further industrial action, in the form of a 24-hour strike, on Saturday.

An Apple spokesman said its retail staff were rewarded with “strong compensation and exceptional benefits” and the company was proud of its performance in that regard.

“Apple is among the highest-paying employers in Australia and we’ve made many significant enhancements to our industry-leading benefits, including new educational and health and wellness programs,” he said.

Organised Apple workers are split among several unions, with the RAFFWU representing about 150.

Earlier this month, the Australian Services Union and the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA) announced Apple had agreed to hold further meetings after the unions filed applications to the Fair Work Commission. However, the RAFFWU disputed those claims.

There has been a long-standing tension between the SDA and the RAFFWU since the latter’s inception in 2016, with the newer union arguing its much larger rival is too weak in defending its members. The SDA rejects that characterisation, citing its long track record of success in a sector that was hard to unionise.

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The RAFFWU was established after Cullinan helped unearth a nationwide wages scandal centred on workplace agreements made by the SDA with major employers includes Coles, Woolworths and McDonald’s.

Cullinan said he was proud of what his fledgling union had accomplished, and that Apple workers overseas were taking note of events in Australia and organising themselves.

“When we launched six years ago, we dreamt of the day that workers would be confident and supported and secure in taking power into their own hands and taking industrial action,” he told this masthead.

“Retail workers haven’t had that in Australian history.”

– with Carla Jaeger