Essential food workers at General Mills strike for decent pay, secure jobs

by | Jun 4, 2021 | Campaigns, Collective Bargaining Rights, COVID-19, Secure Jobs | 0 comments

After working hard throughout the pandemic as essential food industry workers, members of the IUF-affiliated United Workers Union (UWU) are on strike for decent wages and fair treatment.

For workers at the General Mills factory in Rooty Hill in New South Wales, Australia, there is no recognition or reward for their hard work or long hours as essential food industry workers making brands like Old El Paso Mexican Food and Latina Fresh Pasta. This includes casual workers working for more than five years in insecure jobs. Despite being essential in the pandemic, General Mills is refusing to make them permanent.

Yet in its announcement to investors in March this year, it was very clear that all this hard work created value for shareholders:
“In Europe and Australia, third quarter organic net sales grew 7%, primarily driven by growth in Old El Paso Mexican Food and Haagen-Dazs retail ice cream.”
All this contributed to the 8% increase in global sales to USD 4.5 billion last year, with a 27 % increase in operating profit at USD 827 million. Global management told investors that “Mexican food” in the Australian market offers “the greatest potential for growth”.

Despite contributing to this sales growth and profit through their hard work, workers in Australia are being denied a fair wage.

IUF affiliates are mobilizing to support the strike at General Mills in Rooty Hill.

Click here to sign the petition!