More strikes at Inghams risk chicken supplies

Inghams has applied to the Fair Work Commission to stop the strikes.

United Workers Union national secretary Tim Kennedy.

Union members at Australia’s largest poultry producer Inghams have announced four new 24-hour strikes in coming days, casting fresh doubt on chicken supplies, and prompting the company to apply urgently to the Fair Work Commission to try to stop the walkouts.

Inghams has commercial ­partnerships with Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, KFC, McDonald’s and Subway.

United Workers Union national secretary Tim Kennedy said he expected the strikes in support of an 18 per cent pay rise over three years would start to disrupt chicken supplies.

“You wouldn’t want to be going to KFC to get your chicken for the footy finals this weekend because there won’t be much around,” Mr Kennedy said.

More than 1000 union members at Inghams’ operations in South Australia and Western Australia had announced plans to strike on Friday. The union has notified another three consecutive 24-hour strikes in SA from Saturday and a 24-hour stoppage on Tuesday in WA.

Ingham has applied to the commission for an urgent hearing to try to set aside the protected industrial action.

In a statement, Inghams said it had been “working in good faith with our people and their representatives in recent months to finalise a new enterprise agreement”. “It is disappointing it has become necessary to lodge an application with the Fair Work Commission,” a spokesman said.

“We are working closely with our customers to minimise any ­potential interruptions and maintain supply during this time.”

Mr Kennedy said the company’s application showed it was desperate for the industrial action not to go ahead. “I think them going off to the commission reflects a refusal to focus on the matters at the worksites,” he said.

While the union has sought a 6 per cent increase annually for the life of the new three-year agreement, it says the company has offered increases to SA employees of 3.9 per cent in the first year and 3.5 per cent in the second and third years. Ingham employees in WA have been offered increases of 3.85 per cent, 3.45 per cent and 3.5 per cent.

The union says many of the workers earn about $25 an hour and were seeking an extra $1.50 an hour. The union is also seeking the right for casuals to convert to permanent employment after six months, but the company has rejected the claim.

Inghams last month reported that revenue for fiscal 2023 rose 12.2 per cent to $3.04bn, and net profit lifted 72 per cent to $60.4m.

Mr Kennedy said the extra strikes reflected the union’s desire to escalate the issue and focus the minds of company negotiators.

“The issue for us is the company could make a decision to actually make a much more cost-of-living-focused offer and put some of those issues about casual back on the table, and we could reach agreement,” Mr Kennedy said.

“But they’re taking a different approach which is saying we’re going to try to deny workers their legal right to take industrial action … and try to intimidate them into not pursuing these fundamental claims about how to get by.”