Warehouse workers will defy court ruling on Coles: NUW

16/07/2012 - Workers picketing outside a Melbourne Coles warehouse say they expect to lose a court battle but have vowed to continue their strike. Daniel Fogarty

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Toll Group, which manages the warehouse, is seeking an urgent Victorian Supreme Court injunction to end the action.

But the matter was adjourned until Monday after union lawyers failed to appear because they were not properly served with legal documents.

National Union of Workers (NUW) members have been blocking trucks from entering or leaving the Coles warehouse since Tuesday as they fight for better pay and conditions.

Speaking from the picket line on Sunday, NUW state secretary Tim Kennedy said he believes the Supreme Court will rule in favour of the company.

"I expect the Supreme Court will do what it always does and it will support the rich and powerful and it will create an order that supports the rich and powerful and, in this instance, that is management and Coles," Kennedy told reporters.

"That is what the Supreme Court does and we live with that.

"Our reaction is we'll look at the order when it comes through and we'll understand what it means and comply with it."

But Kennedy also vowed the strike would not end.

"The Supreme Court will not interfere with the legality of this strike and that will continue," he said.

Kennedy said the union was yet to be served with papers to attend court on Monday but would comply if it was properly served.

Toll corporate affairs general manager Andrew Ethell said the company was disappointed that the union did not attend Saturday's hearing.

"Our employees have been locked out of work by this illegal blockade for nearly a week now," he said in a statement on Saturday.

"They just want to go to work and earn a living."

Ethell said the company would ask the court to end the blockade on Monday.

Source: AAP

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