Hundreds of Woolworths employees in Christchurch walked off the job today, joining a nationwide strike.
Church Corner Duty Supervisor Michelle Mckenzie said, “Our team deserves a living wage. We need more bodies on the floor. We’re suffering with low staff.”
Workers said their pay isn’t enough to make ends meet, with many expressing frustration at the increasing pressure. “It’s not fair on us. It’s not fair on the customers,” said worker Carolyn.
Photo: Chris Lynch Media
Mckenzie added that morale is low across the store. “We’re all feeling like we’ve been left behind and forgotten. And that’s a really horrible feeling. You know, we were the nation’s heroes during COVID, and now nobody cares. We’re getting abused every day, and it’s just not fair.”
Despite these concerns, Woolworths management insisted they pay their employees at the higher end of the market. However, workers were dissatisfied with this stance. “Woolworths’ offer is very poor,” said one worker.
A former employee shared similar frustrations. “I’ve done six years, and I’m not doing it anymore. I’ve left. I know other people that have left. But they deserve so much better.”
Mckenzie urged the country to recognise the value of these workers. “I just want the country to see that these people are worth it. We are worth the living wage. They’re working hard. Show us respect.”
A Woolworths spokesperson said “”Making sure our team is paid fairly has always been a priority for us and we’ve brought a strong offer to the table in our discussions with FIRST Union. We are one of the leaders in pay for our sector.”
Woolworths said it had improved sick leave benefits, increased caregiver and bereavement leave and improved discounts it offers to staff, and agreed a 19 percent pay increase in 2022.
“Additionally, we’re underway with a $45 million investment in making our stores safer including team safety cameras in all stores, trolley locks, fog cannons and double-entry gates. We’re also looking at bringing in duress alarms for those working in isolated areas.
“In the current challenging economic environment, our customers need us to provide affordable food. We have to balance increasing costs in our business so we can provide more value for our customers.”
