Thousands of FedEx members will soon vote on industrial action, as the company continues to threaten job security with its dangerous Amazon-style gig delivery model, and refusal to guarantee a fair future of work.
FedEx is threatening workers' job security by shifting work to contractors on piece rates, forced to deliver a parcel up to every 4 minutes.
Secure transport jobs around Australia are under attack from the Amazon Effect, with the company undercutting the industry and putting good Australian transport companies out of business through its exploitative Amazon Flex arm, where workers are engaged in "blocks" on a gig model with no standards on pay or conditions.
As FedEx members gear up for potential action, hearings commence today in the Fair Work Commission for the union's application to put decent standards in place for parcel delivery, to stop the Amazon Effect smashing the transport industry.
The TWU is calling on FedEx to stop pursuing the US low road, support the union's application in Fair Work for fair and decent transport jobs to stop the industry downward spiral, and come to the table with a fair offer for its own workforce.
TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said:
"FedEx is taking a leaf out of Amazon's book to turn decent transport jobs into scraps of low-paid, algorithmically-managed work where drivers are under deadly pressure."
"Workers will not accept this ideological warfare from companies like FedEx trying to force the industry further down the US low road."
"Transport workers are the backbone of this country getting vital supplies across the nation. They deserve decent, secure jobs and to be an active part of what those jobs look like in the future."
"We are using every lever at our disposal to push back against wealthy transport clients squeezing our industries dry and pocketing billions in the process. Today we are in the Fair Work Commission, where Amazon has persistently tried to delay our application to introduce fair standards in this sector to protect workers and Australian businesses."
"FedEx workers last went on strike in 2021, when we had no way of pulling in clients like Amazon to correct the industry downward spiral. Now, with laws in place to rebalance the industry, the answer for FedEx is staring it in the face: it's not to join the US low road, it's to lift standards for everyone."
"Workers are making it clear across road transport: it's time for fair, decent jobs for workers into the future, and industries where good Australian businesses can thrive instead of money flowing to foreign billionaires."
Notes:
– FedEx workers vote down agreement: Last week FedEx workers voted against an offer from the company with no job security protections to stop their work being further outsourced, and no future of work provisions
– Further potential action ahead: This year, the TWU has aligned over 220 transport agreements to expire, with thousands of other workers potentially set to join FedEx workers in industrial action to lift industry standards
– Other efforts to lift industry standards: The TWU has also made several applications, using laws passed by the Albanese government, to lift road transport standards, including in parcel delivery and the gig economy
– Trucking is Australia's deadliest industry: 97 Australians have died in truck crashes this year, 24 of them truck drivers
– Widespread transport insolvencies: In the last financial year, there were 772 insolvencies in road transport
– 2021 FedEx strikes: In 2021, FedEx workers went on strike in a job security battle, as FedEx had started moving work to lower-paid contractors
