After over 20 weeks on strike at Saputo’s Burnie site in Tasmania, unions have won their struggle for parity with workers on the Australian mainland.
- IUF reported on the strike in September 2024, mobilizing affiliates to support IUF affiliate Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) and the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU, and to call on Saputo’s global management in Canada to intervene, return to the table and negotiate a fair contract
- Burnie maintenance workers began negotiations with a 21% wage gap to reach parity with Saputo employees performing the same roles in Victoria and have returned to work with a 21.7% increase by the end of November 2025
AMWU Tasmania State Secretary Jacob Batt stated: “AMWU and CEPU members and their families have shown incredible strength, and this agreement is a win not only for them but all Tasmanians. This result has shown loudly that Tasmanians are no longer the poor cousin of the mainland. While the list is long, we would especially like to thank the unrelenting backing throughout an extensive strike period from other trade unions, Unions Tasmania, the ACTU, the IUF, and international affiliates, as well as state and federal politicians who supported the workers.”
