Woolworths’ Melbourne South Regional Distribution Centre has reopened following industrial action that left shelves bare across Victoria and New South Wales.
The centre is the most significant site affected by the indefinite industrial action that commenced on November 21 across three in Victoria and one in New South Wales.
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The reopening comes after 72 per cent of workers at the site were contacted and indicated they wanted to return to work and be paid in the lead-up to Christmas.
The Shop, Distributive, and Allied Employees’ Association has endorsed an offer from Woolworths Group presented last week, and discussions are open with the United Workers Union in the hope of reaching an agreement with all parties and getting team members their increased pay by Christmas.
Woolworths Group reached an agreement on 16 points, with the endorsed offer containing “competitive pay that is above industry standards, above local market rates, above inflation, and approximately 40 per cent above the Storage Services Award.”
A spokesperson said Woolworths acknowledged the empty shelves have been “really frustrating” for its customers.
“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and would like to thank our customers for their understanding and for treating our teams with respect,” the Woowlorths’ spokesperson said.
“We’ve been working tirelessly to reopen our Melbourne South Regional Distribution Centre so we can improve the amount of essential grocery items on our shelves for our Victorian customers.
“We continue to seek to negotiate with the United Workers Union and have requested that they allow safe passage for our team wishing to return to work… this will ensure we can operate the site safely and supply much needed essential food and grocery products.”