Apple workers reject pay offer in ‘David and Goliath’ battle

Thousands of Apple workers across Australia have rejected the tech giant’s proposed enterprise agreement in what unions called a ‘David and Goliath’ battle.

The Apple Store in Melbourne’s Chadstone shopping centre. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Thousands of Apple workers across Australia have rejected the tech giant’s proposed enterprise agreement in what unions called a “David and Goliath” battle over pay and conditions.

An estimated 87 per cent of Apple’s Australian employees voted on the deal, with 68 per cent rejecting the offer.

Unions said the proposed agreement, if accepted, would have resulted in real wage cuts given the high inflation rate, and roster arrangements that took little account of the need for a work/life balance.

The Shop, Distributive and Allied (SDA) Employees Association accused Apple of trying to rush workers into accepting an agreement and stopping the SDA and the Australian Services Union (ASU) from legitimately engaging with employees to discuss the deal’s shortcomings.

The ASU said the proposed agreement would have seen Apple employees – mostly young workers – working 60 hours in a week without overtime.

The proposed 2.5 per cent wage increase to “minimum rates” was well below inflation, which has hit 7 per cent. That deal will now be set aside.

ASU assistant national secretary Emeline Gaske said she was incredibly proud of Apple workers in their “David and Goliath battle” over fair pay and conditions.

“Apple tried to bully their way to a deal that would have seen young workers ripped off, but we held firm – the workers were really brave and now we have the whip hand in negotiations,” Ms Gaske said.

“This company tries to portray itself as the ‘cool tech kid’, when what they’ve shown here is they’re just another global tech giant seeking to take advantage of mostly young workers for massive profit.

“With inflation at 7 per cent, Apple workers just want a fair deal that helps them keep up with the cost of living and reasonable ­conditions. Without rostering protections, this deal would mean workers have no guaranteed off-weekend in a given month and could be working upwards of 60-hour weeks.

SDA national secretary Gerard Dwyer said the company’s tactics were “un-Australian and now it is paying the price”.

“Apple likes to portray itself as a prestige company offering prestige products. It should be seeking prestige working conditions,” Mr Dwyer said.

“Instead it has been called out by its workers for trying to sneak through an agreement that would see its Australian workers going backwards. With inflation now above 7 per cent and rising, the agreement would have seen Apple employees already struggling with the cost of living finding it even more difficult to pay for food, fuel, shelter and the other ­essentials of life.”

An Apple spokesman said it was “committed to providing an excellent experience for our customers and teams, and proud to reward our valued team members in Australia with strong compensation and exceptional benefits”.