A strike looms at trucking firm Toll. 

About 7,000 workers at Australia’s largest road freight company are preparing to strike on Friday as part of a dispute over wage rates, overtime, and contractors in a proposed new enterprise agreement.

Over 90 per cent of Toll staff surveyed voted in favour of the industrial action. 

Transport Workers Union lead negotiator Richard Olsen says Toll has not offered workers the job security they need.

“The transport giant is responsible for two crises at the same time: a cruel attack on good, safe transport jobs, and mass disruption to food and fuel supplies,” Mr Olsen said.

Toll has issued a statement saying its workers earn an average of about $95,000 a year and receive superannuation of 14.75 per cent. The company says it is already providing the best pay deal in the industry.

“Threatening industrial action at a time when our country is in the middle of a global pandemic is playing politics with people’s lives and jobs,” Toll’s global express division president Alan Beacham said. 

“We can assure customers their goods will be transported during any potential industrial action.”

Toll had claimed that vaccine supplies might be disrupted, but this was flatly denied by the union.