Hundreds of Transport Workers Union members stormed Aldi’s head office in Sydney’s west amid shocking allegations of workplace safety incidents.
Retired health and safety representative Warren Gorman told the rally about workers who were crushed and trapped in a scissor lift in three separate incidents at Aldi’s Balgowlah store and needed to be rescued by emergency services.
He said a worker had his leg trapped in the shaft of a hydraulic scissor lift in 2021 and had to be freed by emergency workers.
About a year later, a female worker was trapped in the same elevator shaft by her arm, which had pierced her bone.
Mr Gorman, a TWU member, said the woman would have bled to death if it had not been for the pressure on her arm.
“The fire department said… this is a death trap waiting to happen,” Gorman told the crowd.
Mr Gorman, a former health and safety representative at Aldi, completed a report and recommended an emergency door be installed but claimed this was never done, resulting in a third worker becoming trapped in the same lift shaft.
That worker spent months in the hospital recovering from nerve damage and severed veins.
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At a union protest at Aldi’s headquarters, three workers were reportedly crushed in a scissor lift at a store (file image)
“Three people in one store and Aldi would not act in the interests of workers,” Gorman said.
An Aldi spokesperson did not comment directly on the claims, but said the supermarket chain
We take any security incident or report of potential problems very seriously.
“We are committed to ensuring our working practices are safe, including taking corrective action where necessary,” the spokesperson said.
Around 500 TWU members who took part in the protest were calling on Aldi to sign a letter on supply chain security or be involved in new federal transport reform laws that came into effect this week.
With the new laws, the Fair Work Commission set standards to make road transport safe, sustainable and viable, allowing self-employed workers, couriers and truck drivers with their own drivers to access the Fair Work Commission for the first time.
Workers have demanded greater safety in the workplace. Photo: NewsWire Handout
In May, transport workers also filed a complaint with Aldi calling on it to commit to its responsibilities as a transport employer and customer, ensure a voice for transport workers and work with the industry to raise standards in transport.
Aldi directly employs some truck drivers, but does not have an agreement with the transport company that provides adequate wages, conditions and safety protections.
The rest of Aldi’s transport work is outsourced to operators, but unlike Coles and Woolworths, Aldi has refused to negotiate a supply chain safety charter with TWU to ensure all transport workers it hires have safe and fair working conditions.
On Wednesday, the TWU filed its first applications using new federal transportation reform laws to begin reshaping the food delivery and last-mile sectors and create fairer contract chains.
So far in 2024, 137 people have died in truck accidents, including 33 truck drivers.
TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said it was time for Aldi to come to the table on supply chain security.
TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said it was time for Aldi to have proper talks with workers.
“Shocking reports have come to light of significant injuries to workers which Aldi has refused to take seriously,” Kaine said.
‘It’s time for Aldi to listen to workers and either get on board or step aside.
‘To pass transportation reform laws that save lives, the entire transportation industry came together to find a way to improve this industry.
“Aldi has continued to bury its head in the sand and we are asking it to work with us to secure its supply chain,” he said.
‘We are prepared to make full use of the new legislative powers to bring outliers such as Aldi and other wealthy supply chain customers into line.
“Aldi has taken truck drivers to court twice to stop them from speaking out on safety issues – and lost. It’s time for Aldi to get on the right side of restructuring this industry and work to reduce the transport crisis rather than profit from it.”
ACTU Secretary Sally McManus said workers deserved safety, minimum standards and respect in the workplace. Photo: NewsWire Handout
ACTU secretary Sally McManus said workers deserved safety, minimum standards and respect.
“At this point in history, the TWU has been responsible for achieving ground-breaking laws for all Australian workers, especially transport workers,” McManus said.
‘They are not sitting back and doing nothing: they are stepping on the accelerator to bring this industry forward.
“We will not tolerate Aldi failing to cooperate with the rest of the industry for the benefit of workers,” he said.
NSW Trade Union Secretary Mark Morey said the sign of a bad company was the constant injuries suffered by workers on the job. Photo: NewsWire
An Aldi spokesperson said the company recognised its role as a key player in the transport industry and took proactive steps to ensure its commitment to driver safety was consistently maintained.
“Aldi has a Heavy Vehicle Safety and Corporate Responsibility Charter which applies to our supply chain and aligns with the requirements of SafeWork and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator,” the spokesperson said.
‘We are committed to ensuring safe working practices and sustainability within our supply chain and work with all our suppliers and transport providers to achieve this.
‘Aldi sets a high standard for safety and we take the safety of our employees, suppliers, transporters and customers very seriously.
‘We have extensive processes and measures in place to ensure compliance with our safety obligations. These include monitoring and auditing working practices within the transport chain and providing a range of robust reporting mechanisms so that potential safety breaches can be investigated and addressed.
“Road transport safety is, and always has been, fundamental to our transport operations.”