BOC Gas and Gear workers in Wodonga are taking industrial action after the company announced it was seeking to cut the wages of future employees.
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Employees at the Osborne Street business joined workers from seven other stores across the state taking action on Monday.
The company has announced a plan to cut the wages of future employees by between 16 and 25 per cent.
The wages of current workers are not going to be changed at this time.
Wodonga employee Narelle Garland said they were taking action to ensure that future employees would be paid the amount they deserved.
“We're a small community here, we need to protect what we've got,” she said.
“The amount of work and the type of work we do here requires the wages we get – we do earn it.
“In the long run this is something that will affect us, but for now it's something we're doing for our kids, effectively.
“Our parents fought for the conditions we have now, it's up to us to fight for our children.”
The BOC employees and their union, the National Union of Workers, are concerned that paying existing workers their current wage and any future employees the revised rate would compromise safety in the workplace.
“It's not just a matter of money, it's about the conditions that go with it,” Mrs Garland said.
“It's about staying safe.
“We know this is a winnable fight because we aren’t asking for anything unreasonable.
“We're not asking for a 20 per cent pay rise, we're not even asking for the CPI.
“The excuses they've given us are pathetic.
“They've said that rates, rentals and electricity prices have all gone up, as if we're somehow exempt from all that as well.
“We accept that globally, times are tough from an economic sense, but they are for us as well.
“We have to provide for our families under the exact same conditions they're complaining about.
“It doesn't seem fair to me.”
BOC issued a statement to The Border Mail in response to the action, saying it would “continue to work with our employees".
“BOC is currently in discussions with the National Union of Workers regarding an enterprise bargaining agreement involving our Gas and Gear staff in Victoria,” the statement read.
“We will continue to work with our employees and their union representatives as we aim to reach an agreement.
“BOC is committed to the future of our workforce and respects the contribution each individual makes to our diverse business.”
