Victorian dairy workers say they want to ‘keep communities alive’ amid industrial dispute

Processing workers who went on strike this week were fighting for the right for community consultation, as well as a 5% pay rise

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For the last 40 years, David Clements has worked as a machine operator at the Warrnambool Cheese and Butter factory at Allansford, 10km out of Warrnambool in western Victoria.

The business was taken over by Canadian dairy giant Saputo in 2017. A few years later, workers renegotiated their first enterprise bargaining agreement with the new owners, agreeing to a 2.5% annual pay increase for three years.

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