Federal opposition leader Anthony Albane has called on Coles to end the day lockout of their workers at the Coles Smeaton Grange distribution centre.
Mr Albanese, along with local Labor MPs Dr Mike Freelander and Anne Stanley, yesterday morning visited the workers at Smeaton Grange to offer their support.
The lockout is now in its 29th day.
“The fact that the company is saying that these workers will continue to be locked out over Christmas and up to February is quite frankly a disgrace,’’ Mr Albanese said.
“I have indicated that very clearly on behalf of the Australian Labor Party to Coles management.
“It is completely unacceptable that they are not prepared to negotiate in good faith to resolve these issues and to get these outstanding Australian men and women back to work.
“And I say to Coles what I’ve said to them privately yesterday: they need to do much better than this.
“Because public opinion, I’m sure, will be with these workers who’ve been locked out and their families, who will suffer over this period.
“These men and women need to put food on the table for their families.
“They need to pay their rent. They need to pay their mortgages. They need to have certainty over the Christmas and New Year period.
“I call upon Coles to end this lockout. End this lockout of these workers and end it now,’’ Mr Albanese said.
Jo-Anne Schofield, national president of the United Workers Union, who greeted Mr Albanese and the Labor MPs at Smeaton Grange, said public support was growing for the Smeaton Grange workers.
“These workers want nothing more than to know that Coles will be honest with them about what is going to happen and how jobs will change,’’ Ms Schofield said.
“And they will do everything they can to protect and preserve job security of workers as automation takes over at this site.’’
