GrainCorp Geelong workers to strike over roster, pay dispute
Geelong grain workers say they have lost trust in their employer following an underpayment scandal, triggering a 24-hour strike over roster and pay disputes.
Agricultural giant GrainCorp has been accused of “underhanded tactics” and a “pattern of disrespect” by the union representing Geelong workers who will walk off the job on Tuesday morning.
The breakdown in negotiations for a new enterprise agreement comes less than three months after it was revealed local GrainCorp employees had not been paid a “higher duties” penalty they were entitled to.
This issue, which has not yet been fully resolved, has caused significant friction between management and workers.
The 24-hour stop-work action will begin at 6am Tuesday and also involve workers at GrainCorp’s Portland operations.
In a statement, the United Workers Union said the strike was sparked by the company’s refusal to implement a workable rostering system and failure to put forward a pay rise that would close the gap between GrainCorp sites.
UWU lead organiser Tom Czech said members did not trust GrainCorp in this negotiation given the “lack of transparency around the higher duties underpayment”.
Mr Czech said the UWU had flagged several other non-compliance issues and failure to adhere to the current agreement but those issues had not yet been addressed.
He said the GrainCorp was now attempting to remove or amend clauses, including those related to the span of hours and rostering, as well as the duration that casual workers are engaged for.
Mr Czech said GrainCorp was “seeking to gut the agreement and give themselves a get-out-of-jail free card while trampling on workers’ hard fought-for rights”.
“What we have seen here is an ASX-listed company refusing to provide our members with the basic workplace right of an effective roster,” he said.
“It’s pretty appalling that in 2025 our members are having to ask for such a basic workplace right as knowing when they need to be at work.
“Doctors, nurses, bus drivers, hospitality workers all get a roster, but a $1.67bn company doesn’t have the HR resources or skills to provide a workable rostering system for our members, so they too can plan their lives.”
A GrainCorp spokeswoman said the company respected the right of its employees to take protected industrial action.
“The parties are still negotiating claims, and GrainCorp’s focus is on achieving an agreement that recognises the valuable contribution of our employees, while ensuring that critical operations and export activities continue safely and effectively,” she said.
“We have been, and remain committed to, negotiating respectfully and transparently in good faith to reach a resolution.”
The company has not disclosed how many staff were not paid the higher duties penalty and how much was owed in total, but said it was progressing the remediation process and working with employees.
Employees were warned against speaking to the media after the Addy reported on the matter in August.
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Originally published as GrainCorp Geelong workers to strike over roster, pay dispute
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