Union busting
As part of their Daily Download meetings, which all employees are expected to attend, Apple stores began to present anti-union briefings.
It is illegal in Australia to hold such ‘captive meetings’ to present anti-union messaging, so Apple claimed the anti-union part of the meeting was ‘voluntary’, and that staff could leave if they wished. However, as one employee pointed out, anyone who chose to walk out of the meeting at that point would make themselves a target.
Apple then tried to rush through a new enterprise agreement with below-inflation wage rises and clauses that could see workers work up to 60 hours a week without overtime. This led to the Australian Services Union (ASU) and the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) taking Apple to the Fair Work Commission, on 26 August 2022, for breaching good faith bargaining principles.
The unions pointed out that staff were only made aware of the agreement on 3 August, and Apple refused requests to extend consultation with employees beyond 19 August. Apple also denied entry to union representatives at one of its stores.