Australia: Supermarkets stockpile fresh food as truckies protest

SUPERMARKETS across Queensland are expected to run low on food tomorrow as angry truck drivers stand firm on their two-week strike.

Retailers, fearing the worst yesterday, started to stockpile fruit, vegetables and meat as thousands of truckies joined blockades to protest against low pay rates, new fatigue regulations and soaring fuel prices.


In Brisbane, 300 truckies backed a “go slow” through the CBD as supporters cheered them on.

National Retail Association executive director Gary Black said shops were prepared.

“Supermarkets will experience substantial depletion in stock within a couple of days,” he said yesterday.

“This will mean that a range of alternative suppliers will need to be secured. At the moment, we don’t think the strike action will generate sufficient momentum to have a long-term impact on supply.”

However truckies said they were prepared to stick it out for the full two weeks if the Government did not act.

The Courier-Mail