Farmers retail receives an ‘F’ for performance from staff

Farmers retail workers have long been subject to an unfair performance pay system and have decided it’s time to grade their employer.

They agreed on an F-rating for performance over Farmers’ refusal to pay the Living Wage and the company’s faulty performance pay system that keeps wages down.

Workers have voted to take action across the country over the next two weeks to demonstrate to customers why their employer deserves an F.

The various actions kick off today (Wednesday 22/05/19) from 10.30am with a partial action of a uniform strike in some stores. Staff will wear an ‘F for Farmers: Farmers Workers Deserve a Living Wage’ sticker on their shirt in reference to the company’s unfair performance pay system and unliveable wages.

Stores taking part in this partial strike action include Henderson, St Lukes, NorthWest and LynnMall in Auckland, Paraparaumu and Dunedin. There are many more actions to come over the next two weeks.

Retail, Finance and Commerce Divisional Secretary Tali Williams says Farmers’ pay rates should be a source of embarrassment to a company that prides itself on family values.
“Eighty per cent of Farmers workers are on less than the Living Wage. Minimum wages are not enough to live on. Farmers is well behind other major retailers with its pay rates. What’s worse is that Farmers is one of the only major retailers with a performance pay system that actively keeps wages down.”

Ms Williams says it’s time Farmers recognised what workers and companies signed up to the Worth It campaign are all about.
“The strike action staff are taking, along with wearing t-shirts and stickers that call for liveable wages will raise awareness of these issues. Farmers needs to listen to their own family values and return to the bargaining table with a Living Wage for workers and their families.”

This action follows strike action taken at Farmers last year, more coverage can be found here.

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