Berkelouw Books will close its Leichhardt store next month, with the decision coming amid an unresolved industrial dispute, a contested workplace agreement, and ongoing legal action involving workers and the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU).
The independent bookseller confirmed in a social media post that the Norton Street store will shut on May 10, describing the move as a difficult decision and thanking customers for their support.
The closure comes less than five months after workers at Berkelouw Books and Harry Hartog stores staged a five-day strike in the lead-up to Christmas. This was part of a broader dispute over pay, conditions and a long-running workplace agreement.
At the time, employees represented by RAFFWU took industrial action from December 20 to December 24, targeting one of the busiest periods of the retail calendar.
The union has argued the business has been operating under an outdated 2012 enterprise agreement that undercuts award conditions, including penalty rates for evenings and Saturdays.
Disputed pay deal heads to Fair Work
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Since then, the dispute has escalated.
RAFFWU director of strategic litigation Josh Cullinan told SmartCompany bargaining ultimately broke down earlier this year.
“In February, the employers walked away from the bargaining table and put a proposed agreement to vote,” Cullinan said.
“The employers claim the vote succeeded before Easter by 92 votes to 91 votes,” Cullinan said.
“We know the agreement was not genuinely made and the matter is now before the Fair Work Commission.”
Cullinan said the union is not detailing its arguments publicly while the matter is before Fair Work.
“The short version is that an agreement was not reached, the employers allege their dodgy deal was voted up by one vote, but that vote was impugned for many reasons,” Cullinan said.
Separately, RAFFWU has launched Federal Court proceedings alleging workers were subjected to unlawful adverse action during the dispute, including roster changes linked to participation in industrial action.
“Many workers represented by RAFFWU and involved in industrial action had roster changes. We allege they were unlawful and the matter is before the Federal Court,” Cullinan said.
The union said the first case management hearing took place on April 10.
Union raises concerns over Berkelouw Leichardt closure timing
While RAFFWU said it does not yet know the reasons behind the Leichhardt closure, it raised concerns about the timing and how the decision was communicated to staff.
“We were as shocked as our members to be informed of the closure this week,” Cullinan said.
“We are very concerned the closure was not notified to workers before now.”
He added workers at the Leichhardt store had not been told about any planned closure during the bargaining process, which the union argues raises further questions about the validity of the disputed agreement.
“[It is] yet another reason why the purported agreement lacks authenticity since workers were not notified of the closure during bargaining,” he said.
According to the union, almost all workers at the Leichhardt store were involved in industrial action and remain employed at the site as consultation over the closure begins.
“We are currently supporting our members in late ‘consultation’ over the impacts of the closure,” Cullinan said.
Berkelouw Books and Harry Hartog previously rejected the union’s characterisation of the dispute, stating they pay above-award rates and have been negotiating in good faith.
At the time, a spokesperson said the strike involved a minority of employees and that a “substantial offer” had been on the table.
“Harry Hartog and Berkelouw Books has always offered exceptional working conditions in our beautiful shops,” the spokesperson said.
The businesses have also previously said their enterprise agreements were approved by the Fair Work Commission and passed the Better Off Overall Test.
It remains unclear whether the Leichhardt closure is directly linked to the dispute or reflects broader commercial pressures facing physical retailers.
SmartCompany has contacted Berkelouw Books for comment.
