‘My bonus for 2024 was absolutely nothing’, Woolworths worker tells AGM in pursuit of a ‘liveable wage’

A hard-pressed employee at a country Woolworths store has stolen the limelight at the grocery giant’s annual meeting with a passionate plea to her highly-paid bosses for a “liveable wage”.

The 64-year-old worker told Woolworths’ board and management at the meeting in Sydney that she was scratching by on $26.04 an hour with little prospect of adding meaningfully to her pay and questioned how younger fellow employees could afford to buy a home on their wages.

“I work every weekend, put my hand up for every public holiday, my maximum earnings potential is about $55,000 per annum,” the woman, a 10-year worker for Woolworths in the NSW town of Bowral, said as shareholders discussed the company’s executive remuneration report.

“My bonus for financial year 2024 was absolutely nothing, not even a box of Cadbury Favourites.

“Why do neither the company or the shareholders not consider (that) increasing pay conditions for team members to a liveable wage (is) a worthy investment? It doesn’t really seem we are equitably treated.

“Do you not realise that without team members like me who are responsible for everyday delivery of products and services, there is no business, there’s no profit, there’s no dividend.

“(That) $26.04 just isn’t cutting it, it’s actually becoming unaffordable to work.”

Woolworths chair Scott Perkins acknowledged her “candour and courage” and promised management would seek her out after the meeting to discuss her concerns.

However, he insisted Woolworths had put a lot of effort into improving workplace and pay conditions for its 200,000 staff.

“It clearly hasn’t worked for you, and I’m very sorry about that, but on a bunch of very important metrics ... we have made significant improvement,” Mr Perkins said.

Earlier, he admitted the retailer was “not perfect” as he used the annual meeting to defend its pricing policies in the face of regulatory claims it has duped shoppers.

Mr Perkins backed the group’s conduct and “customer first culture”, noting that inquiries into the big supermarket chains and a lawsuit from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission had damaged community trust in Woolworths.

“Public opinion on these matters can shift quickly,” he said.

“Our approach is to calmly and methodically address these issues, present the evidence and pursue all options to give the best possible opportunity for reasoned outcomes to prevail.

“Woolworths Group is not perfect and I’m sure we will learn things from some of these inquiries.”

Woolworths has denied allegations in a Federal Court action by the ACCC that it misled customers by falsifying discounts on groceries.