Over 75% of Lindsay Transport workers have rejected a deal that would have attacked pay and conditions, despite the company announcing record revenue of $411M during the pandemic, and profit of $5.32 million.
The Enterprise Agreement presented by Lindsay would have forced workers into a shoddy four-year deal before being able to bargain again. It would also have stripped entitlements for weekends and public holidays, reduced redundancy entitlements, and cut leave loading.
"This no vote is a significant win for workers against an insultingly substandard deal put forward by Lindsay," said TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine. "Lindsay has benefited like many companies from the pandemic, and even wrote to all employees in 2020 thanking them for their contributions to a record revenue. It is absolutely appalling that instead of rewarding workers for their hard work, they're trying to cut pay and conditions.
"Workers have sent a clear message that this is not good enough, and now Lindsay will be forced to come back to the bargaining table to present a fair deal."
The vote comes as enterprise agreements for transport companies around the country are due to expire this year.
"Lindsay is not the first company to use the excuse of the pandemic to rip off workers, and it will not be the last. Many drivers worked harder and longer than ever in 2020. We're standing with them to demand better from these opportunistic companies."
Following this strong no vote, the member-led TWU team will now recommence bargaining with Lindsay, as transport workers around the country gear up for their own bargaining rounds.
