Delivery drivers for bread company Tip Top are staging protests across NSW today in retaliation to what they say is a company-issued ultimatum – either accept a pay cut or lose their jobs.
Around 50 drivers have gathered at the company headquarters in North Ryde, circling the premises and beeping their horns continuously.
Similar protests have been staged at the George Weston Foods depot in Griffith and Tip Top offices in Oak Flats.
The Transport Workers Union says Tip Top has announced that it is re-structuring the runs currently operated by it is drivers.
It says the company is cutting pay by more than 30 per cent in some cases and has refused to negotiate, which led to the protests.
Owner/driver Aleni Otuhouma of Isabella Plains, who is half way through repaying $120,000 on his vehicle, spoke to the ACT News and says he is losing $3500 a week and being asked to deliver more bread.
TWU Canberra sub-branch secretary Klaus Pinkas says the drivers are paid per loaf of bread under a complicated system that varies on the variety of bread and kilometres they travel.
"They are being asked to do more for less pay. The big issue is the rate is not sustainable
While drivers say there will be no disruption to bread deliveries overnight, they cannot rule out disrupting supplies in the future if the company refuses to sit down and negotiate.
In a statement Tip Top says fewer customer drops caused the changes to contracts.
"Tip Top has provided all individual distributors with reasonable notice in line with their existing contracts, and is now actively engaged in discussion with these distributors and working to resolve any concerns regarding individual delivery runs in a timely manner."