Angry workers led supporters on an impromptu morning march around the RACV head office on Monday, 18 November. Part of a 24-hour strike, it was the latest in a series of actions by the car club’s call centre workers to win a new enterprise agreement.

The company says this is “one of the highest paid call centres in Australia”. The workers – members of the Australian Services Union (Private Sector) – won’t jump to disagree. ASU organiser David Leyton told the crowd, “This call centre has a history … These are hard-won, long-standing terms and conditions.”

This is a union workplace. Of the 120 or so taking calls from stranded drivers, lead delegate Jackie Gadsby told Red Flag that about 95 percent (115 people) are in the union.

Many have stuck at the job for decades. “Most of us have dedicated more than 20 years to the company”, said Anja, a striking worker. In gratitude, she explained, the company wants to knock 30 weeks off the redundancy entitlements of its longest serving employees.

After its directors voted themselves an 11 percent annual pay rise, the RACV is offering these workers 2.5 percent a year. In return, it wants them to “trade off” their paid breaks. “It’s an extra 100 minutes a week … we’ll be paying for our own pay rise”, exclaimed Anja.

Support for their campaign is widespread. Striking workers were joined on the lawn outside head office by contingents from a number of unions, including roadside assistance drivers, who are covered by the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union.

Further actions are planned, and Jackie says they have the backing of many of the other less unionised sections of the RACV workforce. “They’ve already had a lot taken off them … ‘Good onya, keep going’, they say.”