Aldi: bad, different

Aldi directly employs some truck drivers and contracts out the rest of its transport work to third party operators. As an employer and a supply chain client, Aldi is failing on safety.

Aldi doesn’t have a transport enterprise agreement for its employee truckies to ensure they have the pay, conditions and safety protections they need to do their jobs safely. Instead, truckies are on the same agreement as shopfloor and checkout staff, who do very different jobs.

As a transport client, Aldi is responsible for ensuring safe, fair conditions for all transport workers engaged in its supply chain. When wealthy retailers like Aldi squeeze transport, drivers are pressured to work longer hours, speed and skip mandatory rest breaks to get the job done. But Aldi refuses to take responsibility for road safety. In fact, Aldi tried to silence truckies on safety in court – twice – but failed both times.

Coles and Woolworths have signed charters with the TWU to ensure safety in their transport supply chains. It’s time for Aldi to come to the table.

Last year alone, 54 transport workers were killed on the job.

Safety breaches at Aldi

Safety breaches have been raised at Aldi stores, both by workers across the country and through inspections from the NSW safety regulator. These include:

• Crush injury risks
• Fall from height risks
• Poor traffic management
• Inadequate training on loading and unloading of heavy vehicles
• Fire hazards
• Faulty equipment
• Pressure to work long hours and meet tight deadlines
• Fear of being targeted for being a union member

Transport workers serve a claim on Aldi

Transport workers angry at Aldi’s refusal to address safety in their supply chains are speaking out at nationwide protests. They’re calling for:

1. A national road transport enterprise agreement for employees;
2. A supply chain safety charter for contracted out transport work;
3. A voice for workers; and
4. To join with industry to lift standards in transport.

Aldi, explained: