Hundreds of TWU members today will call on Aldi at its head office in Minchinbury to sign a charter on supply chain safety or be roped into new federal transport reform laws that take effect this week. It comes amid shocking reports of recurring crush injuries where serious safety risks were not rectified, and numerous fines and Improvement Notices from SafeWork.
In May this year, transport workers served a claim on Aldi to commit to responsibilities as both a transport employer and client, ensure a voice for transport workers, and work with the industry to lift standards in transport.
Aldi directly employs some truck drivers, but doesn't have a transport enterprise agreement to provide appropriate pay, conditions and safety protections.
The rest of Aldi's transport work is contracted out to operators, but unlike Coles and Woolworths, Aldi has refused to negotiate a supply chain safety charter with the TWU to ensure all transport workers it engages have safe, fair working conditions.
Today the TWU made its first applications using the new Federal transport reform laws to begin reshaping the food delivery and last mile sectors, and create fairer contractual chains.
In 2024, 137 people have been killed in truck crashes, including 33 truck drivers.
TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said it was time for Aldi to come to the table on supply chain safety, as new laws take effect this week which can rope transport employers and clients into standards orders.
"Shocking reports have come to light of serious worker injuries that Aldi refused to take seriously. It's time Aldi listens to workers and gets on board or gets out of the way."
"To pass lifesaving transport reform laws, the entire transport industry came together to find a way to make this industry better. Aldi has continually stuck its head in the sand, and today we're calling on Aldi to work with us on safety in its supply chain. We are prepared to use new legislative powers to their full effect to bring outliers like Aldi, and other wealthy supply chain clients, into line."
"Aldi took truck drivers to court twice to stop them speaking out on safety-and lost. It's time for Aldi to be on the right side of reshaping this industry, and work towards reducing the crisis in transport instead of profiting from it."
