More than 110 booksellers from Berkelouw Books and Harry Hartog stores across New South Wales went on strike on December 13 as part of their campaign for a new enterprise agreement which would replace the 13-year-old “zombie agreement” they are on.
The Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU) held a rally outside the Leichhardt Berkelouw Books store as part of the strike action. It was supported by more than 150 current and former booksellers, community supporters and representatives of other unions.
RAFFWU secretary Loukas Kakogiannis told Green Left workers went on strike because they want “living wages, fair treatment clauses and secure work”.
“They get paid under a dodgy old cafe agreement that casualises part-time work, and doesn't pay penalty rates on weeknights, Saturdays or public holidays … it's a terrible agreement and they’ve been on it for 13 years.”
Both Harry Hartog and Berkelouw Books are owned by the Berkelouw family who run 17 bookshops across the country. The current agreement is from 2012, and was originally for workers at an adjoining cafe.
Workers started inudstrial action on December 10, implementng bans on meeting with managers, recieving stock and re-stocking shelves. They then unanimously decided to strike from 11am on Saturday, December 13 and all-day Sunday, December 14.
Jessica, union delegate at Harry Hartog Penrith, told Green Left said the current deal made job security “non-existent” and casualised part-time workers. She told the rally that when she was hired she was promised 30 hours a week, but this quickly dropped to much less, leaving her in financial insecurity.
“Workers have been treated without respect, dignity or care,” she told GL. “We have been officially bargaining with the employers for two months but unfortunately we haven't seen any reasonable movement from them yet.”
Jessica said the huge community support for the strike had made a big difference. “It’s been unbelievable and I am so grateful to be a part of something so much bigger than myself, it’s so exciting.”
Alex, delegate at Berkelouw Books Leichhardt, told Green Left that booksellers “love our jobs” but that they want bosses to respect them for their work.
“The support has been overwhelming, I have been a part of this campaign since August 2024 and to see how much public support we have is very validating.”
Rohan, delegate from Harry Hartog Macquarie, told GL workers are being “underpaid, undervalued and undersupported”. He said the strike would show the bosses that “we are not to be messed with”.
Along with delegates and RAFFWU organisers, representatives from the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), National Tertiary Education and local campaign group the Better Futures Coalition addressed the rally.
MUA Sydney branch organiser Shane Reside told GL that “any time workers have the collective courage to stand up for themselves it brings all workers forward”.
Kakogiannis said booksellers started organising in Sydney and it quickly spread to other stores. He said RAFFWU helped delegates from Sydney visit bookstores in Brisbane, Newcastle and Adelaide to help them get organised.
“Over time we held more meetings, talked about what claims they wanted to win in bargaining and through that process built their confidence to the point where they were able to get to bargain, which requires a majority of the workforce.”
Kakogiannis said bosses had made “an incredibly lousy offer” which included a pay rise of just 34 cents an hour. He said the deal would have further cut penalty rates and left casual workers on the award minimum.
“They say because they are re-introducing penalty rates they don’t have to increase wages,” he explained. “We say no. Workers need wage increases and the penalty rates that they should have always been getting.”
He said the big turnout at the rally would give workers the confidence to keep fighting for the agreement they deserve.
RAFFWU helped workers at independent bookstore Better Read Than Dead in Newtown, Sydney, become the first retail workers to go on strike in more than 50 years in 2021.
BRTD workers now have one of the best enterprise agreements in the industry, which includes an option to convert from casual to permanent employment, higher pay, the abolition of junior wages and the restoration of penalty rates.
Harry Hartog and Berkelouw Books workers are meeting with bosses on Monday and hope to be presented with a better offer that addresses their demands.
Kakogiannis said a members meeting on Monday night would consider whatever offer has been made, “but if it’s not good enough our members will be considering what action, including strikes, they take in the lead up to Christmas”.
[Support the workers on strike at Harry Hartog and Berkelouw Books by donating to the RAFFWU strike fund.]
