Yahoo Finance Boycott call hits Aussie summer favourites Paddle Pop, Golden Gaytime and Magnum
The union representing Streets ice cream factory workers left angered over a u-turn on pay and conditions has urged the public to boycott the company's most popular products.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) announced the boycott on Sunday over a potential 46 per cent pay cut for workers at Streets ice cream, owned by consumer goods giant Unilever.
The AMWU has launched a $250,000 “Streets Free Summer” campaign on social and traditional media to try and protect the rights of 140 workers at the Minto factory.
The widespread snub would see Streets' most popular ice-creams including Paddle Pop, Golden Gaytime and Magnum shunned.
"The only way to make this global corporation listen is to hit them where it hurts," AMWU secretary Steve Murphy told News Corp.
“This summer it is a choice between being on the side of workers in struggle or on the side of corporate greed.”
The boycott would mirror the 2016 push to avoid products from beer giants Carlton and United Breweries where popular beers such as VB and Carlton Draught suffered following an industrial dispute.
Unilever Australia & New Zealand's Ice Cream general manager Anthony Toovery questioned the union's expenditure on the boycott.
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"We are surprised the AMWU believes spending $250,000 on hats, balloons and beach balls to promote a boycott against Australian manufacturing is a good use of members' funds," he told Fairfax Media.
Unilever released a statement announcing its application with Fair Work Australia to terminate the existing enterprise agreement.
The company said it needs to provide more flexible working conditions and enhance the competitiveness and viability of the factory for its future success, but Mr Murphy suggests such a change would result in a significant 46 per cent pay cut for workers.
