Further to my earlier report about the industrial action by some magazine delivery drivers this week, I note the action was apparently due to rising fuel costs and refusal for them to pass on these costs.
Also, I have heard that some outlets affected seem to have been treated differently than others. For example, one retailer received replacement stock by courier while others nearby had to wait almost 24 hours. In another case, a newsagent, even though on a round affected by the action, reportedly received their stock on time.
In another case, the same driver delivers for two courier companies to the one area. One courier company has the contract for newsagents and the other for major outlets such as supermarkets and convenience chains. This is why newsagents were without magazines in some places while their competitors were fully stocked. It begs the question of why publishers did not use the alternative company to get newsagents covered.
Newsagents cannot afford to be without Take 5, That’s Life or Australian Women’s Weekly while their major competitors have stock. The industrial action this week has hurt many small businesses.