WHAT'S NEXT

Coles: stop buying chicken from killer factory with below minimum wage workers
  1. Signatures
    4,058 out of 5,000
    Petitioning
    1. Coles CEO (+ 2 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • Coles CEO (Ian McLeod)
      • Head of Communications, Coles (Jon Church)
      • General Manager of Corporate Affairs (Robert Hadler)
  2. Created By
    Jade Cruse
    Reservoir, Australia
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates
How We Won

Dec 07, 2011

Factory workers at Baiada Poultry were subject to bullying, harassment, pay at less than minimum wage and dangerous conditions. Coles bought 80% of its chicken from these factories -- and young mum Jade Cruse started a petition calling on Coles to suspend purchases until Baiada fixed conditions.


More than 4,000 joined with her and sent messages to senior Coles executives through Jade’s petition, reportedly crashing their email system. A few days later, management at Baiada Poultry caved to every single one of the workers’ demands.

One of the workers' negotiators said that Jade’s campaign was "critical" in getting the outcome, and workers got in touch directly, saying: "[we] send thanks to Jade Cruse and everyone who sent a petition to Coles through Change.org. Your voices made a difference."

Sarel Singh was 34 years old and a loving husband. In August last year he was decapitated in a gruesome workplace accident. It's the second death in six years at Baiada Select Poultry factories -- from which Coles Supermarkets source 80% of their chicken.

Workers at these factories regularly complain of illegal exploitation including management bullying, sexual harassment and cash-in-hand contracts below minimum wage. What's more -- Baiada are advertising the chickens as "free range" while they actually live a short, tortured life trapped in the space of an A4 piece of paper.

Baiada continue to ignore the repeated investigations by authorities -- they remain focused on their $1 billion+ revenue, and aren’t budging on the needed workplace reforms. But if Baiada’s biggest customers stop buying their chicken, they will be forced to improve safety and standards. 

Coles claims to adhere to an ethical sourcing policy that guarantees basic wages, health and safety standards in the factories that supply their produce. Now is their chance to live up to that policy.

I shop regularly at Coles and usually love their products. But after seeing this I couldn't stand by and watch Coles continue to sell chicken that is produced by workers in such appalling conditions.

Please sign the petition now before it’s too late.

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Coles: stop buying chicken from killer factory with below minimum wage workers

Greetings,

Dear Ian McLeod, Coles CEO --

Implement your ethical sourcing policy and guarantee basic standards at Baiada Select Poultry -- or suspend purchases.

There have been two deaths in six years at Baiada Select Poultry -- a company repeatedly found guilty of failing to provide systems free from health and safety risks. There have also been regular concerns raised about the illegal exploitation of Baiada’s mostly migrant workforce -- workers report management bullying, sexual harassment and cash-in-hand contracts below minimum wage. Baiada has been deaf to repeated investigations -- they remain focused on their $1 billion+ profits, and aren’t budging on the needed workplace reforms.

Coles Supermarkets source 80% of their chicken from these unsafe and allegedly exploitative factories. The Coles ethical sourcing policy is meant to guarantees basic wages, health and safety standards in the factories that supply their produce.

It's time you implement the ethical sourcing policy -- guaranteeing that when I buy a chicken from Coles it isn’t produced by workers being exploited for profits.

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Sincerely,

[Your name]

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