The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union is urging ice-cream lovers to boycott Streets products – including popular Golden Gaytime, Calippo, Splice, Magnum, Cornetto and Paddle Pop ice-creams – as it ramps up its fight to protect workers’ pay.

Unilever, the multinational owner of Streets, is attempting to terminate a collective agreement for workers at its Sydney factory. The union says Streets workers face a 46% pay cut if the agreement is terminated.

“Streets have given the Australian public a choice this summer,” the AMWU NSW secretary Steve Murphy said on Monday. “It’s a choice between supporting workers in struggle or supporting corporate greed.

“We think we know which side the Australian public are on. When you eye an ice-cream, you buy an ice-cream that makes you feel good.”

Beaches and major sports events will be targeted over the summer by union members calling on people to choose any other ice-cream over a Streets product.

The campaign was sparked by Unilever’s application last August to the Fair Work Commission to terminate the collective enterprise agreement (EA) among workers at its Minto factory in Sydney’s south-west.

Unilever says it needs to make changes as the factory is too expensive to run, saying it is 30% cheaper to import a Magnum Classic made in Europe than to make the same product at Minto.

“In regards to the union’s calls for a summer boycott of Streets, we think that Australians can decide for themselves what ice-cream to eat,” Unilever said in a statement.

“The reality is that every Gaytime, Magnum or Paddle Pop chosen this summer will help shore up the future of Streets manufacturing in Australia. All a boycott will do is hurt workers and local manufacturing.”

Unilever also rejects the union’s claims that workers face a 46% pay cut if the Fair Work Commission decides to terminate the EA.

Murphy said the union was confident the campaign would win public support and entice Unilever back to the negotiating table.