A union representing Australian employees of Apple has agreed to strike due to a lack of progress on wage negotiations, according to a union official on Tuesday.
The one-hour strike planned for October 18 is expected to disrupt the tech business''s store operations in the United Kingdom and add to the pressures it is facing elsewhere on business relations.
The planned strike will involve around 150 of Apple''s 4,000 Australian employees who are represented by the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU) and restricting most customer services in at least three of the company''s 22 stores in the country, according to the union.
According to the RAFFWU, the strike would be the first for Apple in Australia, and further expands the company''s worldwide exposure to collective bargaining, as a result of rising cost-of-living pressures. Apple and other large corporations, like Amazon, are forced to unionize.
Apple and the RAFFWU have set off a series of union discussions in August, putting a fresh set of locked-in wage increases and conditions in place. In September, the unions and Apple demanded additional negotiations.
"We''ve come to the conclusion of that today, and we are still not in good alignment, so last night members unanimously approved that route," said RAFFWU federal secretary Josh Cullinan.
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"Wohln large groups of employees depart, that will have an impact," says the author.
Workers with RAFFWU-represented in the majority of Australian Apple stores would strike, but the impact would be strong in outlets with more representation, according to Cullinan.
Three unions argue they want Apple to provide a minimum wage rise as a result of inflation, which is tracking around 7 percentin Australia, twice the central bank''s target - and weekends of two days in a row.
Apple claims that its minimum pay ratio is 17 percent higher than it is the industry''s minimum wage, and that full-time workers are eligible for guaranteed weekends.
"We are committed to providing the best possible experience for our employees, including excellent compensation and benefits, annual stock grants, and comprehensive leave policies," an Apple spokesperson said on Tuesday.
2022, according to Thomson Reuters