Australian supermarkets investigating claims of 'slave' conditions at supplier
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The country's three biggest supermarket chains have said they will investigate claims made by workers of exploitation and bullying at a major national flower supplier.
Key points:
Workers at major flower supplier Lynch Group say they are made to "slave to the bone"
Woolworths, Coles and Aldi will investigate workers' claims of exploitation and bullying
Lynch Group CEO says the company takes the workers' claims extremely seriously
Lynch Group is the largest flower wholesaler in the southern hemisphere and supplies flowers to Coles, Woolworths and Aldi stores around the country.
The ABC first revealed claims of "sweatshop" working conditions at the Australian warehouses of Lynch Group in March.
But several current workers at the Melbourne warehouse claim that conditions have worsened in the lead-up to Mother's Day, one of the busiest times of year.
"It just reminds me way back in the days of a certain brand of runner that was being made by children and they were selling them around the world for $300 a pair," said one worker, John.
"And it just made me think of that when I think of the way they treat people at Lynch.
"We're all too scared to do anything about it because you'd lose your job and they'd just get somebody else. And they tell you that."
'Someone's going to get killed there soon'
The workers said pressure from management is so great that they are forced to breach workplace health and safety standards just to meet daily demand.
...
Lynch Group 'committed to' culture of respect
In a statement, a Coles spokesperson said the company would investigate the claims with Lynch Group and encouraged workers in the meantime to contact the Fair Work Ombudsman.
An Aldi Australia spokesperson said they were concerned to hear the allegations, and that Aldi suppliers are "contractually obliged to abide by our social standards in production".
"In light of these allegations we have initiated an investigation into the claims," the spokesperson said.
A Woolworths spokesperson said that while Lynch Group remains a supplier, its "due diligence processes" are ongoing.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-11/supermarkets-investigating-worker-claims-at-flower-supplier/9739318
Honestly shit like this happens way more than we like to think. You hear some real horror stories about Amazon warehouses. Like big tv screens that name and shame employees that don't sort deliveries in 30 seconds or whatever the time limit is.
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