Dairy Workers

At a meeting in Geneva on January 30 & 31, unions representing workers employed by the global dairy giant Lactalis, established an alliance within the IUF Dairy Division.

Affiliates committed to work together to strengthen union organization inside a company which is noted for its hostility to unions and pledged to defend union activists from any harassment when fulfilling their responsibilities as elected union representatives.

The 2018 Congress of the New Zealand Dairy Workers Union Te Runanga Wai U (NZDWU) resolved to establish a youth committee that encourages young members to become more involved in the governance and operation of their union.

Warning strikes by IUF affiliated NGG members have won
gains in collective bargaining in the dairy sector in 2018. In Germany a
warning strike may occur during collective bargaining and is a warning
to employers that workers are prepared to take further action in support
of improving wages and other conditions.

In May 2017 Murray Goulburn announced that they were closing their 125
year old Kiewa plant in Victoria Australia, a move which would have
destroyed secure employment in the small community.

National Union of Workers (NUW) shop stewards held mass meetings with
local, state and federal politicians to emphasize the importance of the
jobs. Saputo announced in May 2018 that they would keep the factory open.

Australia is in the midst of a wage crisis, in an environment where business is making record profits. National Union of Workers (NUW) members at Yakult are taking indefinite strike action from March 19 in order to win the higher wages they need and deserve.

At a planning meeting in San Francisco on March 12 & 13, the IUF
Dairy Division Steering Group decided that it must be at the negotiating
table to discuss the impacts of climate change and technology on dairy
worker's jobs.

Affiliates at the IUF Latin America regional dairy conference called for more action in the defense of political and economic rights as the continent suffers at the hands of a mix of authoritarian regimes and 'business friendly' democracies.

An arbitration tribunal in Singapore has determined Fonterra must pay
Danone €105m to cover a product recall linked to a false botulism scare
in 2013.

Canadian based Saputo has offered A$1.3billion to buy Australian dairy
cooperative Murray Goulburn. The proposed sale has been cautiously
welcomed by IUF affiliate, the NUW, which represents workers in the
company.

On October 25, IUF German affiliate NGG hosted a meeting in Hamburg to re-vitalize Dairy Net, the IUF-EFFAT regional organization of dairy affiliates.

The OECD/FAO outlook 2017-26 for
dairy and dairy products forecasts rising growth in production, prices
and consumption in the decade ahead. New Zealand(32%), the European
Union(24%), the United States(12%) and Australia(6%)will continue to
dominate exports in cheese, whole milk powder (WMP), butter and skim milk powder (SMP) with export growth of
around 2% per annum.

Dairy TNC's are strengthening their dominance through every climatic and
financial crisis as milk price volatility and job instability becomes a
permanent feature in a system rigged in favour of global commodity
traders, major food processors and big retailers.

The National Union of Workers (NUW) in Australia will fight the scheduled closures of dairy factories at Kiewa, Rochester and Edith Creek in an effort to save 360 jobs and protect rural communities.

The IUF convened a national dairy meeting on 22-23 April 2017 in
Bangalore, India which was attended by 38 delegates from Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Although most of the
participants work in the cooperative sector, the unions from the private
sector dairies Schreiber Dynamics and Ferrero also contributed to the
meeting.

Delegates at the meeting planned for actions to promote and defend the
rights of young workers, of women, of contract workers and those working
in the private sector and to recruit more of these workers into their
unions.