‘Unlawful’: Woolworths wins bid to clear picket line outside Melbourne warehouse

Fair Work finds United Workers Union's industrial action had affected employees who wanted to return to the work site

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Woolworths has won its application to clear a picket line at one of its key distribution centres in Melbourne, and prevent similar action at other sites, after arguing that the industrial protests were being used as a metaphorical gun" during negotiations over pay and conditions.

The Fair Work Commission's deputy president Gerard Boyce found on Friday that the United Workers Union (UWU) had engaged in unlawful picketing" to hinder access to warehouses, and that the union had therefore not met good faith bargaining requirements.

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