UNITE is a fighting union for fast food and retail workers in Victoria.

The union grew out of the UNITE campaign that first started in Melbourne in 2003 to fight for low paid and casual workers’ rights. Its most notable campaigns were the ‘Name and Shame’ campaign on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy and the campaign to unionise Borders Books on Lygon Street in Carlton.

Whilst the campaigning of UNITE did lead to improvements in the wages and conditions for some workers in Melbourne’s inner suburbs, it became clear that much more than a lobby group was required to take on the massive issues faced by workers in the fast food and retails sectors.

That is why in May 2006 UNITE decided to turn the campaign into a trade union covering fast food and retail workers. The fast food and retail industries are a source of employment for thousands of young people. Employment in these industries usually means casual hours, low pay, workplace bullying, and unsafe work practices.

This growing sector is mostly dominated by a handful of greedy corporations who are determined to drive down production costs in order to boost profits. One way that they reduce production costs is by employing young people and paying them low wages.

Another way is by employing most of their staff on a casual basis. This saves them money by not having to pay out holiday pay, sick pay and all of the other benefits permanent staff enjoy. About 30% of the Australian workforce is employed on a casual basis, but for young workers the figure is at over 60%!

It doesn’t have to be this way! The creation of low paid casual jobs in the fast food and retail industries is only a relatively recent development. It is not unusual to see high levels of exploitation in new and expanding industries when they first develop.

The reason other industries have been able to achieve better wages and conditions is by building fighting unions and bargaining collectively to force these greedy companies to pay higher wages, improve conditions and to provide workers with some security in their lives.

UNITE is taking on the task of making trade unionism relevant to young people. It is an organisation that educates young people about their rights in the workplace, that takes up the issues that young people face in the wider community and organises them to fight back and win the decent wages and conditions that they deserve.

The time for young people in fast food and retail to have their own fighting union is long overdue. We urge all workers in the fast food and retail sectors in Victoria to join UNITE.

If you work outside the fast food and retail sectors but want to help organise the fight back UNITE also needs you. UNITE is in need of volunteer organisers, volunteer office staff, solidarity members and finances. If you want more information, want to volunteer or to want to join UNITE contact 03 9328 1555.