Source: Workers First Union
Shoppers should not be surprised to find their local Woolworths supermarket manager on strike and handing out leaflets this Tuesday, as store management team (SMT) members across the country take their first ever strike action.
Hundreds of Workers First Union members will stop work for one hour from 10:30am to 11:30am to tell customers about a pay offer that would freeze wages for some managers for up to five years.
See the “Woolworths Frozen Wages” leaflet: http://workersfirst.nz/hawkfile/2192/original/Woolworths-frozenwages-flyer.pdf
“The pay offer is a slap in the face for people who run Woolworths’ stores,” said Ross Lampert, Workers First National Organiser.
“96% of union members voted to reject the company’s offer, and members opted to strike and leaflet customers to raise awareness of this unfair deal.”
Bargaining for the store managers’ collective agreement began on 23 March this year. Mr Lampert said that Woolworths’ offer:
- Locks in a two-tiered pay system for people doing the same job
- Freezes pay for up to five years for some managers, and offers pay rises well below inflation to others
- Gives managers no say over the rostering principles that determine their working hours
The two tiers date back to last year’s restructure when longer-serving managers maintained their higher wages while newer managers were hired on less, despite doing the same work. The understanding was that this gap would close over a relatively short period. Mr Lampert said this contradicts what Woolworths is now offering: a three-year deal that would lock the two tiers in, with a pay gap of 2.2% still remaining at the end of it. Managers on the higher tier have already had their pay frozen over the past year, and this offer means that their pay would continue to be frozen for at least the next three.
“Prices on the shelves haven’t stopped going up, so why should incomes remain frozen?” said Mr Lampert. “Nobody could tolerate a five-year wage freeze, but that’s what’s on offer here.”
“Managers were told the pay gap between new and old staff would close within two years. Instead, Woolworths wants to cement it for three more. They’re doing the same work, so they deserve the same pay.”
“Managers want some reasonable control over their rosters so they can plan their lives outside Woolworths, with quality time with family and room for outside interests.”
“Managers are not people who take industrial action lightly. This is the first time they’re going on strike in the company’s history, and it shows how badly this offer has landed.”
Woolworths recently reported EBIT of $163m for the year to June 2026 – up 8.8% – while committing more than $400m on store refreshes over the last three years to change the supermarket’s brand from Countdown to Woolworths (after previously changing from Woolworths to Countdown).
One supermarket manager and Workers First Union member (who must remain anonymous due to company restrictions on public speech) said that customers see prices rising and assume managers are being looked after, but they’re not.
“If people understood the work we’re doing and the pressures we’re dealing with, they would fully support us,” said the manager.
“Woolworths expects us to work nights and weekends on a rotating basis, which makes it hard to have a life outside of work.”
“Their model means that we’re sacrificing our family life and social life in order to make the company’s brand look good.”
Strikers will hand customers “Frozen Wages” leaflets, which invite the public to tell Woolworths that they care about how staff are treated by emailing workplace.relations@woolworths.co.nz.
Background information
- Woolworths SMT are party to a separate collective agreement from Woolworths’ supermarket workers and Customer Care Centre staff.
- The strike action is nationwide and will take place at Woolworths stores from 10:30am to 11:30am on Tuesday 13 October.