Apple is being accused of rushing Australian workers into a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement that will see more than 4,000 staffers seeing a real wage cut.

The Australian Services Union and SDA released a joint statement to media this morning slamming the tech giant’s actions, saying its workplace proposals were “unseemly”, “unethical”, and “unfair” to Australian workers.

The agreement will see Apple employees receive 2.5 per cent minimum rates increases, which are well below inflation. In addition, Apple’s proposed deal has a lack of rostering protections which may see some workers log 60-hour workweeks without being paid overtime.

The unions claim Apple rushed the deadline for signing off on the agreement, after rejecting a request to extend the consultation process past Apple’s own August 19 deadline.

“The proposed agreement from Apple may be unlawful and its attempts to ram through a substandard agreement that would leave mostly young people working up to 60 hours without overtime is unethical,” said Australian Services Union Assistant National Secretary Emeline Gaske.

“On the eve of the National Jobs Summit when employers and workers are supposed to be finding common ground and working together for a fairer workplace system, Apple’s actions are out of step with the community’s expectations.”

SDA National Secretary Gerard Dwyer said the deal will see Aussie workers go backwards.

“Apple likes to portray itself as a prestige company offering prestige products. It should be seeking prestige working conditions, rather than trying to sneak through an agreement that would see its Australian workers going backwards,” he said.

“With inflation above six per cent and rising, this would see Apple employees already struggling with the cost of living finding it even more difficult to pay for food, fuel, shelter and the other essentials of life.

“For a company that is making at least $11bn in profits annually from its Australian operations, its behaviour is simply un-Australian.”

The bargaining agreement fight comes ahead of next week’s Jobs Summit in Canberra.