Solidarity with locked out Super A-Mart workers

Melbourne University

Ruby Healer

Locked out workers made a special delivery to Melbourne university’s Vice Chancellor Glynn Davis on Friday 14 March. They dropped off a load of cheap furniture and with the help of students and university staff barricaded the lobby of the administration building with dodgy tables and couches.

The university is an investor in discount furniture retailer Super A-Mart which has locked out its warehouse workers in a dispute over wages and conditions. The solidarity action was part of a series planned by the National Union of Workers (NUW) to draw attention to the dispute.

In February, workers at the Somerton warehouse voted to hold stoppages after months of fruitless negotiations for a wage rise and improved conditions. The company responded to a 24-hour strike by hiring security guards to stop workers from entering to warehouse.

“At the moment, we don’t have work until the company decides they want to let us back in”, said NUW delegate Chad Wyatt, calling the lock-out an “act of intimidation and bullying”.

In the midst of our own fight against education cuts, students are proud to stand in solidarity with workers in their struggle.

Brisbane Super A-Mart outlet

Paul DM

A noisy contingent disrupted Saturday shopping at a Brisbane Super A-Mart store on 15 March to protest in solidarity with locked out NUW members.

National Union of Workers organiser Dani Shanahan explained: “Workers at Somerton in Victoria have been negotiating for a wage increase with Super A-Mart. They haven’t had a wage increase in over four years even though the cost of living has gone up ten percent. They took protected industrial action to further their claims and Super A-Mart has locked them out for over a week now.”

Chants of “Super A-Mart stop being super arseholes!” rang out throughout the shop. Outside, supporters leafleted customers on their way in and collected signatures on a petition in support of the workers demands.

The NUW has vowed to plan further solidarity actions in Queensland, particularly given that the Super A-Mart CEO has his office in Brisbane. Supporters can find details of other actions on the National Union of Workers facebook page and are encouraged to come along to pressure the company to meet its workers’ demands.