“I worked for $2.46 an hour”: Drought-stricken farmer slams Coles and Woolies over milk prices
A dairy farmer has shared a video online, which criticises Australia’s major supermarkets for paying him a painfully low wage for a full month’s work of delivering dairy products.
In the Facebook video, NSW farmer Shane Hickey revealed he was paid the equivalent of $2.46 per hour for the month of July from retailers such as Coles, Woolworths, ALDI and IGA.
“I'm a proud dairy farmer and I work very hard,” he said, while choking back tears in the emotional video.
“Something's got to change. People can't expect farmers to continually work for nothing. It's basically slavery.”
Mr Hickey revealed that production at his farm is down 50 per cent compared to the same period last year because of the drought.
The farmer questioned where the major supermarkets would get their products from if the drought continued.
“Water is disappearing quickly and is most likely going to be in restrictions in a very short period of time – it's looking rough,” he said.
“So thanks Coles and Woolies, $2.46 an hour – you pay your staff more than that.”
Mr Hickey said as well as running his dairy farm, he also has to look after his three children and pay off the mortgage.
“I'm not irrigating at the moment because my irrigator's broken and I have to work within a budget, but there's no money in the budget so I've just got to try and do it myself,” he said.
The video has since generated many comments from Aussies, with some calling the situation “disgraceful” and “appalling”.
Others asked what shoppers could do to support drought-stricken farmers like Shane.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, a spokesperson for Woolworths said the price a dairy farmer receives for milk, known as the farm gate price, is set by dairy processors and not supermarkets.
“We know there are many Australian farmers doing it tough with the drought and that's why we've been working closely with Rural Aid to ensure more support can be provided to those impacted,” a Woolworths spokesperson said.
While a Coles spokesman did not address Mr Hickey’s claims, he said the Coles Nurture Fund was set to provide $5 million in grants and interest-free loans for farmers.
“Coles is also raising money in stores across the country for the Country Women’s Association’s drought relief efforts, to provide more immediate assistance, and Coles is matching every donation dollar-for-dollar,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
“In just over two weeks, together we have raised over $1.8 million.”