Australian Bookstore Workers Are Organizing
Bookstore workers in Australia are beginning to organize for better pay and conditions. They are already chalking up important wins in individual stores — but their aim is to transform conditions across the industry.
Workers gather in front of Readings bookstore in Melbourne to demand management respect the tentative agreement they negotiated. (RAFFWU / Twitter)
Despite the cultural capital and glamour many bookstores enjoy, it’s well documented that many of their workers face tough retail conditions. Indeed, working with books is often supposed to compensate for minimum wages and unsafe workplaces. Compounding this is the fact that union coverage at Australian bookstores has historically been very low.
Less than two years ago, no Australian bookstore was covered by a retail enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA). Today this is no longer the case. With support from the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU), bookstore workers are standing their ground for better, safer conditions, most recently at Readings, in Carlton, Melbourne.
They have already notched up important wins. If bookstore workers across Australia replicate their efforts, it could transform conditions across the industry.
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