SDA News 2017 Autumn by SDA NSW

SDANEWS OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, NEW SOUTH WALES BRANCH I AUTUMN 2017 I RRP $8.00

FIGHTING: PENALTY RATES CUT; CUSTOMER ABUSE; TAKING AWAY OUR PUBLIC HOLIDAYS. IT’S TIME FOR

A BIT OF RESPECT!

SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, NSW BRANCH

WWW.SDANSW.ORG.AU  PHONE 131 SDA 

STREET ADDRESS: Level 3, 8 Quay Street, Sydney NSW 2000 POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box K230, Haymarket NSW 1240 E-MAIL: secretary@sdansw.asn.au

SDA NEWS EDITOR:

Bernie Smith, Level 3, 8 Quay Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Please address all correspondence to “The Secretary”.

UNION OFFICERS: SECRETARY: Bernie Smith ASSISTANT SECRETARY: Robert Tonkli PRESIDENT: Cheryl Cassell

ORGANISERS LEAD ORGANISER: Angela Ghanime

METROPOLITAN: Anthony Maiatico, Anthony Attard, Caroline Israel, Chris Stefanovski, Mina Papadopoulos, Tina Callaghan, Joel Tynan, Karl San Pedro, Anthony Day, Whitney Rizk, Alex del Rosario, Jessica Chidiac, Rayanne Li, Alison Varga, Susannah Hoffman, Josip Blazevic, Nathan Egan, Joe Rebbechi, Jessica Rebbechi.

REGIONAL: Lower South Coast, Southern Highlands & Canberra: Athol Williams, Narelle Atkins and Hugh McLaurin  phone 6273 2300 Riverina (Wagga/Albury): Struan Timms  phone 6921 8820 Western NSW (Orange/Dubbo): Louise Buesnell and Loretta Turner (part-time Organiser)  phone 6362 1965 Far North Coast (Ballina/Tweed): Trevor McCosker  phone 6686 4192 Wollongong & Illawarra: Vera Cavanagh and Di Dixon (part-time Organiser)  phone 4228 3611 Port Macquarie and Tamworth Region: Paul Mitchell  phone 6583 8837 Coffs Harbour and Armidale Region: Mariusz Werstak and Bridget Sheridan  phone 6650 9950 WAREHOUSING AND MANUFACTURING: Joseph Bourke, John Paul Sialafau, Alex Velickovic

SPECIALISTS INDUSTRIAL OFFICERS: Bernard Govind, Mitchell Worsley, Aliscia Di Mauro, Rose Ghabache, Monica Rose WORKERS’ COMPENSATION AND OHS OFFICERS: Michael Babic, Jane Lui SENIOR OPERATIONS OFFICER: Phil Walker COMMUNICATIONS OFFICERS: Michael Walker, Tim Leong INFORMATION OFFICERS: Corrine Boyle, David Uzzell, Georgina Psillis, Renee Jaajaa, Nadia Olic, Nazih Azar EDUCATION OFFICER: Philippe LeCompte

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. — SDA members, Delegates and Officials work together every day to bring respect and dignity to our members at work. It might be an individual workplace issue, a roster dispute, a bullying complaint, or a health and safety matter. All workers are entitled to respect at work.

On all fronts... There are currently three big attacks on the work rights of SDA members that show a lack of respect for retail, fast food and warehouse workers:  The unfair decision to cut Award workers’ penalty rates;  The push by the NSW Government to permanently extend Boxing Day trading hours; and  The epidemic of poor behaviour from some customers to the people serving them. The SDA is committed to working throughout 2017 to protect SDA members from these attacks.

Penalty rates — protect our pay I respect the institution of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) and we need an independent umpire — but they got it so wrong on penalty rates. What a bad decision. It’s bad for workers, it’s bad for the economy and, ironically, it will be bad for the very businesses that demanded the cuts. By cutting penalty rates in Awards without increasing base rates of pay, all they did was give people a pay cut! (See pages 4-5.) What has changed from 2010 when the FWC set the rates as fair? In 2010 and 2012, the Government of the day supported penalty rates and made a submission to the FWC in support of penalty rates. The Turnbull Government did nothing to support penalty rates. That was the big difference that we should all remember as millionaire Malcolm tries to say it has nothing to do with him. It is a bad decision because it is bad for workers, bad for the economy and bad for business. Evelyn from Spotlight Campbelltown gets $600 a week and is facing a pay cut of up to $80. She nailed it when she said she would like to see Malcolm Turnbull get by on $600 a week!

— find out what it means to me We will do all we can to try to stop the cuts and protect Award workers’ pay. Thanks to the SDA members who went to Canberra to speak to MPs to try and stop this decision. For so many people, this is a pay cut they can’t afford and don’t deserve.

Bad for everyone These cuts are also bad for the economy. Low paid workers spend most of their income (rich people can’t spend it all). If your pay is cut, you have less to spend. Our economy relies on people consuming. When consumption, or spending, drops so does our economy. It’s bad for business too. If your pay is cut you will have less to spend at the shops. Will you still go to the café and get your takeaway coffee? Cutting penalty rates without increasing base pay is just a pay cut that leaves you with less. That is the difference between our EBAs and this FWC decision to cut penalty rates without compensation. A lot of our EBAs have penalty rates of 50% on a Sunday, but in return they have much higher base rates of pay. Coles and Woolworths are $90—$100 a week higher than the Award. Bunnings and Costco pay rates are $130 a week higher than the Award. The EBA protects your take home pay. We will be renegotiating many EBAs this year. The FWC penalty rate decision makes those negotiations harder. Now it is more important than ever that all employees in your workplace are in the SDA to secure good EBAs.

Your time on public holidays matters, too! The issue of penalty rates goes hand in hand with trading hours on public holidays! The Turnbull Government supports cutting your penalty rates on public holidays, while the NSW Berejiklian Government wants your shops open on more public holidays. One takes your time while the other takes your money! As you know, the only days when you are guaranteed time with family and friends without any pressure to work are the days when the shops are closed. There are not many closed days, and the Liberal Government wants to take Boxing Day from you because they do not respect your right to shared family time at Christmas. The two-year trial of Boxing Day trading is completed. The Government want all shops open on Boxing Day permanently. A proper review of the Boxing Day trading trial would show there was no economic benefit, no strong consumer demand, but unbearable

pressure on retail employees to give up their precious family time at Christmas (see pages 14-17). What do we want from trading laws?  We want Boxing Day to be made a closed day and returned to families;  We want tourist areas to go, and all areas to be treated the same;  We want Anzac Day to be properly respected, with a whole day close instead of a ½ day. See page 15 for what we will do together to achieve that. You work so hard in the lead up to Christmas, you deserve two days off. Christmas just isn’t Christmas without Boxing Day!

Customer abuse — the ultimate disrespect. Unfortunately, the level of customer abuse seems to be getting worse. Members report being verbally abused, followed to their cars after work, threatened, spat on and having things thrown at them! It is not OK, it is not acceptable and it is not part of the job (see pages 12-13). This campaign has a long way to go. We polled the public about customer abuse. 47% of them had witnessed customer abuse. 79% blamed the incident on inappropriate or rude behaviour by the customer and 47% on lack of staff and having to wait too long. There is 77% support in the general public for signage in stores that encourages polite and respectful behaviour by customers towards retail staff. Retailers can install these signs straight away. Changing customer behaviour may take a while — but we’re in it for the long haul. There is no excuse for customer abuse, they must respect you. Which brings us back to where we started — RESPECT! I look forward to working with you this year as we work together to bring respect to all SDA members’ working lives — through all the workplace issues we resolve and through these issues too:  protecting your pay and conditions through strong membership  fighting for family time on special days because Christmas isn’t Christmas without Boxing Day  a long campaign to reduce customer abuse and ensure you are treated with respect R. E. S. P. E. C. T. — find out what it means to me. For retail, fast food and warehouse workers it means three letters — S.D.A!

Bernie Smith, Branch Secretary

SDA NEWS I AUTUMN 2017 I PAGE 3

FWC CUTS PENALTY RATES – L

Branch Secretary Bernie Smith speaks against the Sunday rate cut at a press conference with community and faith leaders On 23 February, after some two years of legal argument, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) delivered a decision to cut Sunday and Public Holiday penalty rates for workers in Awards covering retail, fast food and hospitality workers, without improving base rates of pay. It is a pay cut. This cut in penalty rates comes at a time of record low wages growth for Australian working families. This cut to take home pay is a cut that retail, fast food and hospitality workers don’t deserve, and a cut they can’t afford. EBA EMPLOYEES PROTECTED – FOR NOW SDA members working under an enterprise agreement will continue to receive their existing penalty rates and their higher (loaded) hourly rates of pay, negotiated by the SDA.

This decision affects all retail and fast food workers and will make bargaining for new Agreements more challenging in the future. PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR WORKERS More than 80% of Australians support penalty rates, and thousands of them told the FWC to support penalty rates. The FWC received 5,960 public submissions by individuals, many coming from workers in the retail and fast food industries. The FWC noted that the overwhelming majority of these contributions opposed a reduction in penalty rates. They provided support to the SDA case and our evidence that employees would face financial difficulties if penalty rates were reduced, and pointed out that Sunday was a significant day that deserves extra pay.

Protect our pay PAGE 4 I AUTUMN 2017 I SDA NEWS

SDA members and Delegates gathered thousands of signatures on petitions supporting penalty rates, and participated in hundreds of campaign actions throughout 2015 and 2016. FWC DECISION IS UNFAIR The FWC decision to cut retails workers’ Sunday penalty rates by up to 50%, and fast food workers’ Sunday rates by up to 25% is unfair. It treats retail, fast food and hospitality workers like second class citizens compared to all other industries that the FWC says are worth more. The FWC decision fails to properly account for the human cost of cutting low-paid workers’ pay. Evidence from SDA and United Voice members showed the significant effects of reduced rates, and provide a human face to this critical matter. “The evidence of the SDA lay witnesses provides an individual perspective on the impact of the proposed changes. For example, witness SDA Retail 1 said that if Sunday penalty rates were reduced to 150% he would be $74.06 worse off each week — a reduction of 7.88% in his current weekly earnings.

– LET’S PROTECT OUR PAY “Many of these employees earn just enough to cover weekly living expenses, saving money is difficult and unexpected expenses produce considerable financial distress.” YOU’VE GOT TO BE JOKING! Cutting penalty rates without increasing base rates of pay is just a cut to workers’ take home pay. One patronising suggestion to help fix the issue of cuts to take home pay is that employees can work more hours! This is a decision that is completely out of touch, with the real-life experiences of retail and fast food workers. The employers argued and the FWC believed “that a reduction in the Sunday penalty rate in the Retail Award is likely to lead to some additional employment”. The myth of extra jobs could be even worse than expected, and many economists have cautioned that this decision will actually reduce consumption so there will be no additional jobs, and perhaps even job losses. CUTS TO THE LOWEST PAID Fast food employees on the Level 1 rate (i.e. nonmanagerial) were not considered ‘career’ employees. However, managers and supervisors (Level 2 and 3 employees) apparently “experience a higher level of disutility associated with Sunday work than that experienced by Level 1 employees”. That is, their Sunday is seen as more important than the 85%+ of employees who work as Level 1. The reality is that our community does put a higher value on Sundays and it is valuable equally to all of us. Sundays are still special which is why the FWC is not open on Sundays, and employer groups close their offices on Sundays and public holidays. NOT RESOLVED The case leaves many unresolved issues. The FWC decision is unfair and should not be implemented. Transition arrangements for the cuts to the Sunday rate will be arbitrated and arguments on this matter will be put to the FWC. Any transition arrangement will cut low paid workers’ pay and is unfair. One thing is clear, to protect your pay and conditions, all retail, fast food and warehouse workers need to be members of the SDA. We will continue our campaign to protect the interests and pay of our members as the penalty rates campaign continues. Stay tuned...

WHAT ARE THE AWARD CHANGES? SUNDAY PENALTY RATES

RETAIL AWARD Full-time and part-time employees: Casual employees: FAST FOOD AWARD (Level 1 employees only) Full-time and part-time employees: Casual employees: PHARMACY AWARD (7.00 am – 9.00 pm only) Full-time and part-time employees: Casual employees: HOSPITALITY AWARD Full-time and part-time employees: (no change for casuals)

cut by 50% cut by 25% cut by 25% cut by 25% cut by 50% cut by 25% cut by 50% —

PUBLIC HOLIDAY RATES

RETAIL AWARD Full-time and part-time employees: Casual employees: FAST FOOD AWARD Full-time and part-time employees: Casual employees: PHARMACY AWARD (7.00 am – 9.00 pm only) Full-time and part-time employees: Casual employees: HOSPITALITY AWARD Full-time and part-time employees: Casual employees:

cut by 50% cut by 25% cut by 25% cut by 25% cut by 50% cut by 25% cut by 50% —

WHAT ABOUT MY EBA RATES? Penalty rates under Agreements are safe for the time being, but it will be hard to negotiate to keep them unchanged as Agreements are renegotiated.

To see SDA member Evelyn from Spotlight (who works under the Award) speaking on national television about the cuts, go to: http:// dailym.ai/2le7OwQ

SDA NEWS I AUTUMN 2017 I PAGE 5

The SDA: Securing your public h by Robert Tonkli Assistant Secretary

This year, Easter falls in mid-April, and the SDA is already receiving lots of queries from members about their Easter public holiday entitlements.

The table opposite outlines the holidays falling over the Easter/Anzac Day Period.

Public holidays are important Easter and Christmas are the two times each year where consecutive public holidays provide an opportunity for members to spend quality time with their families and friends. The right to not have to work on these days is particularly important for those members whose families are separated by long distances. Of course, the right to spend time with family and friends on public holidays cannot be taken for granted.

PAGE 6 I AUTUMN 2017 I SDA NEWS

Retailer associations have pushed to reduce public holiday penalty rates and the deregulation of all trading hours across the whole country. Their objective is to make weekends and public holidays no different to any other day of the week, and this has just begun with the recent Fair Work Commission’s decision on penalty rates (see pages 4-5 for details).

Some important examples include: 

The SDA won Easter Sunday as a public holiday for its members in New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria and now Queensland. NSW members were the first to get Easter Sunday as a public holiday in 2010.



This was the first new public holiday in NSW in almost 125 years.



In NSW and the ACT, the SDA was able to ensure that where Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day falls on a weekend, the actual day is observed as a public holiday, and an additional public holiday is observed on the following Monday or Tuesday.



This means that members no longer miss out on a public holiday when Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day falls on a weekend.

In some instances, employers turn a blind eye to managers who pressure their staff to work on public holidays, when they know it’s an employee’s right to have the day off with pay. Any member who is forced to work on a public holiday should contact the SDA for help and advice.

Working hard to improve your public holiday entitlements The SDA has a proud history of working hard to protect and improve the entitlement of members having time off on a public holiday.

We know that we cannot take our public holiday rights for granted. That is why the SDA continues to fight hard to improve and protect members’ public holiday rights.

c holiday entitlements Defending public holiday penalty rates

did you know...

The SDA is fighting to protect the public holiday rate of pay. The Fair Work Commission decision to reduce the public holiday rate of pay in the General Retail Industry Award and the Fast Food Industry Award is disgraceful.

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We have suffered a setback in the protection of penalty rates, with the Fair Work Commission’s recent ruling but we will continue to fight to protect penalty rates on these important days in our EBAs.

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Contact the SDA The SDA has worked hard over many years to ensure that our members get time off work to spendd with their families on special occasions, such as overr Easter and on Anzac Day. If you have any questions about your public holidays or trading arrangements over the Easter/Anzac Day period, speak to your Delegate, or SDA Organiser, or contact the SDA’s Information Centre on 131 732.

The SDA publishes a number of company specific information leaflets at Easter and Christmas. These are available from your store Delegate, SDA Organiser, and the SDA Information Office, and are also available for download from the SDA’s website.

Easter/Anzac Day Public Holidays and Trading Hours in NSW Event/Day Good Friday Friday 14 April Easter Saturday Saturday 15 April Easter Sunday Sunday 16 April Easter Monday Monday 17 April Anzac Day Tuesday 25 April

Public Holiday? Yes

Is Work Voluntary? Yes

Yes

Yes*

Yes

Yes*

Yes

Yes*

Trading Arrangements in NSW Restricted Trading Day. General shops must close unless they have a restricted trading exemption or are in a tourist area. Small shops and scheduled shops may open for trade. Normal Trading Day. All shops can trade on this day. Restricted Trading Day. General shops must close unless they have a restricted trading exemption or are in a tourist area. Small shops and scheduled shops may open for trade. Normal Trading Day. All shops can trade on this day. Restricted Trading Day to 1.00pm. General shops must close prior to 1.00pm unless they have a restricted trading exemption or are in a tourist area. Small shops and scheduled shops may open for trade.

*Award-covered employees have a reasonable right to refuse to work on Easter Saturday, Easter Monday and after 1.00pm on Anzac Day.

SDA NEWS I AUTUMN 2017 I PAGE 7

YOUR EASTER 2017 PUBLIC HOLIDAY ENTITLEMENTS With Easter fast approaching, SDA members should be aware of their public holiday entitlements. The simple rule is this: under most SDA Agreements, employees have an absolute right to refuse to work on a public holiday. The choice is yours. PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN NSW AND THE ACT: DATE

PUBLIC HOLIDAY

Friday, 14 April (Good Friday) Saturday, 15 April (Easter Saturday) Sunday, 16 April (Easter Sunday) Monday, 17 April (Easter Monday)

   

PENALTY RATES

   

TRADING ARRANGEMENTS: GOOD FRIDAY

EASTER SUNDAY

IN NSW: Without a restricted trading or tourist exemption, your store must close on

Good Friday. It is an offence to engage staff to work behind closed doors on Good Friday. IN THE ACT: By convention, most shops in the ACT close on Good Friday. IN NSW: Without a restricted trading or tourist exemption, your store must close on Easter

Sunday. It is an offence to engage staff to work behind closed doors on Easter Sunday. IN THE ACT: Due to the hard work of your Union, Easter Sunday is a now a public holiday in the ACT.

CHECK YOUR AGREEMENT: Delegates and members should refer to their Enterprise Agreement. The

SDA has prepared a range of company specific public holiday bulletins that detail entitlements in major companies. One relating to your company should be on your store’s SDA Noticeboard, or you can access it on the SDA website: sdansw.org.au/user. Alternatively, you can scan the code ?here, using your QR-enabled device. CONTACT THE SDA: If you have any questions or concerns, speak

to your Delegate, SDA Organiser, or call the SDA’s Information Centre on 131 SDA (that’s 131 732).

The SDA’s Young workers across Australia continue to give 100% in the workplace, but they are not given the recognition or the 100% pay they deserve. That’s why once again, the SDA was proud to run the Young Workmate of the Year Awards in 2016, celebrating young workers and the valuable contribution they make to their workplaces. Now in its third year, the Young Workmate of the Year Awards received an absolutely fantastic response and an extremely high calibre of nominations. We received more than 130 entries and hundreds of votes from across Australia representing the very best in young workers. The nominations contained motivating stories of an amazing group of dedicated young workers — people who go the extra mile, who are dedicated to their workplace, and who are a pleasure to work with, the kind of people you love to have around.

WORKMATE OF THE YEAR 2016

It’s been extraordinarily tough to decide but we’re proud to announce that the recipient of the Young Workmate of the Year Award 2016 for the New South Wales Branch was Lucinda Boxall from Woolworths St Ives. Congratulations to Lucinda for being crowned the 2016 Young Workmate of the Year. She was presented with her award by Branch Secretary Bernie Smith at the Sydney Delegates Dinner Dance and has won $500 in recognition of her hard work and great efforts. The Award is run as part of the SDA’s 100% Pay at 18+ campaign, which aims to

achieve full adult pay rates for 18 and 19 year old workers. The SDA has campaigned strongly to raise pay rates for young people. In 2014, we were successful in raising the retail wage for 20 year olds to 100%. That’s a great start, but there’s still more to do and we need you to get on board. You can follow the 100% Pay at 18+ campaign on Facebook and sign up on our webpage to receive all the latest news. Congratulations to all the nominees and many thanks to everybody who nominated a workmate and voted in the competition. For the full list of award winners, go to 100percentpay.com.au/ywya

SDA NEWS I AUTUMN 2017 I PAGE 9

Delegates call for respect on pa Delegates meetings were held at nine locations throughout NSW and the ACT during March for a briefing from Branch Secretary Bernie Smith and Assistant Secretary Robert Tonkli about the SDA’s priorities for 2017. The focus was on our three major campaigns, which are all featured in this edition of SDA News: . Protecting take home pay following the penalty rates decision; . Defending Boxing Day in NSW; and . Tackling the problem of customer abuse. 

Delegates participated in discussions, especially on customer abuse and violence, detailing many shortcomings in company policies, and an often disappointing lack of engagement from management. Delegates unanimously endorsed the following motion: “We the SDA Delegates of NSW & ACT condemn the recent FWC decision cutting penalty rates without increasing base rates of pay. We call on the FWC to protect the pay of all retail and fast food workers covered by Awards. “We recognise the benefits that enterprise bargaining has delivered to employees over many years. We need to ensure that all employees are better off overall under new Agreements compared to the Award. We call on our employers to immediately begin to bargain for new BOOT compliant Agreements. “We call on the NSW Parliament to reregulate Boxing Day trading and call for all shops to close on Boxing Day throughout NSW. We also call for the proper recognition of ANZAC Day including for all general shops to close for the whole day. “We support a campaign to reduce the level of customer abuse in the service sector. “We will organise new members to protect our pay, for respect of our family time and to be treated with respect at work.” Delegates went away energised and ready for a big year of work.

PAGE 10 I AUTUMN 2017 I SDA NEWS

pay, family Æ&#x;me and customers

SDA NEWS I AUTUMN 2017 I PAGE 11

There is absolutely no excuse f by Bernie Smith Branch Secretary

Thousands of retail and fast food workers experienced abuse or violence from a customer in the last year and it is completely unacceptable.

Over the festive season, the SDA ran a nation-wide campaign calling for respect for retail and fast food workers. We urged customers to keep their cool during the busy festive season in stores and in fast food restaurants. The campaign was widely supported by SDA members, workers and the wider community who helped spread the word.

PAGE 12 I AUTUMN 2017 I SDA NEWS

We hit the street in Sydney’s Pitt Street

The high level of interest is a stark reminder

mall in December, passing out leaflets and

of just how common the issue is and this

speaking to Christmas shoppers about the

situation needs to change.

need to ‘Keep Their Cool’.

Surveying our members

SDA members Dale, Sue and Jack also

As part of the campaign, the SDA launched

spoke to Channel 7 News about the issue.

an online survey to ask retail and fast food

It clearly hit a nerve as the video clip was widely shared and viewed by almost a million people on Facebook.

workers about the customer violence and abuse they experienced at work. Feedback from workers is essential to better understand the issues they face and how to

An online article which interviewed SDA members about the issue was viewed by

address the issue. Over 6,000 workers completed the survey,

more than six million people online.

and the SDA will now use the feedback to

We know nearly all retail and fast food

tackle the issue.

workers could tell a story of their own first-

Check out the national results from our

hand experience of customer abuse and

survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.net/

violence.

results/SM-CVNKLL9G/

e for abuse We also ran a survey of the general

Some shops even â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;rewardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; abusive

public.

customers by giving them a gift

47% of members of the public have

card to placate them.

witnessed customer abuse of retail

Disturbingly, 15% of customer

workers while shopping. Most

abuse incidents include physical

members of the public said that it was

violence against workers!

caused by unreasonable customers (79%) or a shortage of staff meaning customers had to wait (47%). Customers support the idea of signs in shops about appropriate behaviour

Watch this space as the SDA raises customer abuse with all the companies we deal with during 2017.

(77%).

The right to feel safe

Disrespectful behaviour from

All retail and fast food workers

customers is unacceptable in any

have a right to work in a safe

situation, but it just adds insult to

environment free from violence and

injury if staff are not supported by

abuse.

their employer.

There is no excuse for abuse.

SSDA DA NNEWS EWS I A AUTUMN UTUMN 2017 2017 I PAGE PAGE 1133

PAGE 14 I AUTUMN 2017 I SDA NEWS EWS

TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS It seems to get harder and harder to find shared time together with family and friends. That’s why public holidays are such an important by Bernie Smith Branch Secretary opportunity to take time out together. If you think it’s getting harder to even have time together on public holidays, you’re right! The NSW Government has allowed all shops in NSW to open on Boxing Day for the last two years. In doing that, they have taken thousands of retail workers away from their shared family time at Christmas. Despite all work on Boxing Day supposedly being voluntary, it is disturbing to report that over 40% of SDA members who worked on Boxing Day 2016 felt they did not truly volunteer to work. The NSW Government must take note of this worrying figure and give Boxing Day back to families. MAKING BOXING DAY A CLOSED TRADING DAY Christmas just isn’t Christmas without Boxing Day, so the SDA has been working hard to make sure Boxing Day is a closed day in NSW from 2017. In 2015, the NSW State Government was able to pass legislation that allowed all shops to open on Boxing Day in 2015 and 2016. Without further legislative change, Boxing Day will return to its closed day status this year.

This will mean that most shops will have to close on Boxing Day this year. Of course, the State Government will seek to pass new legislation to keep shops open on Boxing Day. To make sure Boxing Day returns to its status as a closed day, we will be calling on the support of all members and Delegates during the year to help us win this important campaign. CLOSING SHOPS ON THE WHOLE OF ANZAC DAY The SDA’s view is that Anzac Day should be a closed trading day for the whole day, and not just until 1.00pm. There is also widespread public support that shops should be closed for the whole day on Anzac Day. The SDA has approached the RSL, who agree that Anzac Day should be a restricted trading day for the whole day. With the support of the RSL, the SDA will be working hard to make Anzac Day a full closed day in New South Wales.

MAKING EASTER SUNDAY A CLOSED DAY THROUGHOUT NEW SOUTH WALES Easter Sunday is a restricted trading day in New South Wales. However, for too long, some areas have been treated differently. Many shops were able to trade because they are located in a Local Government Area that obtained a historical trading exemption as a ‘tourist area’. Late last year, the SDA filed an application in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, challenging the validity of an amended trading exemption granted to the Shire of Bega. If our application is successful, Local Government Area tourist retail trading exemptions will be invalid. This will mean all retail employees in general shops across NSW will be treated the same. They will all get the same protection for family time. Shops in New South Wales would be required to close for trade on Easter Sunday. The SDA will be keeping members informed of the outcome of the case.

YOUR UNION – WORKING FOR YOU! To protect family time on public holidays, the SDA is:  Putting submissions to the Retail Trading Amendment Act review, calling for shops to be closed on Boxing Day and given back to families.  When the review is handed down, talking to all NSW MPs on the need to return Boxing Day to NSW families.  Working with the RSL to call for proper respect of ANZAC Day, with shops to be closed for the whole day.  Running a case before the NSW Civil and Administration Tribunal, calling for an end to tourist area trading exemptions, so all retail workers can have time with their families, regardless of the area they in, on special days.

SDA NEWS I AUTUMN 2017 I PAGE 15

In 2015, the NSW Government introduced changes to the Retail Trading Act 2008 (NSW) to allow a trial of retail trading on Boxing Day. The arguments for trading were the HSSLNLK ILULÄ[Z [V [OL 5:> LJVUVT` W\ISPJ KLTHUK [V ZOVW HUK [OL ILULÄ[ to retail workers.

The reality of Boxing Day trading in 2016 was that there was: • NO ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO THE NSW RETAIL INDUSTRY • NO STRONG PUBLIC DEMAND TO SHOP • BUT A REAL SOCIAL COST TO THE RETAIL WORKERS OF NSW AND THEIR FAMILIES

NO EXTRA SALES Economic arguments advocating for retail trading on public holidays are weak according to statistics.

NO DESIRE TO SHOP

92%

SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY

PAGE 16 I AUTUMN 2017 I SDA NEWS

“Growth in December trading has in fact been lower in 2015 and 2016 since Boxing Day trading has been deregulated” 1

A recent survey conducted by Essential Research of what is important on Boxing Day shows that an overwhelming majority of people do not think shopping is important.

85% JUST RELAX

19%

WATCH CRICKET ON TV

19%

GO SHOPPING

Attendance to post Christmas Sales has dropped, despite the additional trading day.2 OF PEOPLE IN NSW FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A TWO-DAY BREAK OVER XMAS. IF THEY WORK IN RETAIL 93% WANT A TWO DAY BREAK.

NO PROTECTION FOR WORKERS +LZWP[L YLX\PYLTLU[Z MVY HSS Z[Hќ ^VYRPUN VU Boxing Day to be voluntary, the unfortunate reality is that many retail workers did not feel they could refuse to work on Boxing Day. The ZP[\H[PVU NV[ ^VYZL MVY Z[Hќ PU HZ WYLZZ\YL to work increased.

Do you feel that you freely elected to work on Boxing Day? 2016

NO: 40.6%

2015

NO: 29.1%

HELLO MY

$49.99

46.2%

I felt that I could not say no to my manager

33.92% 11.11%

NAME IS

SNOWMAN

I was told I had to work

My manager kept asking me to work

18.13% 43.86%

As a casual, I can’t choose my shifts

I need my job so I can’t risk upsetting my employer

THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR:

There is little public support. The community overwhelmingly believes that having a two day break over Christmas is vitally important and that Boxing Day should be a special day reserved for family.

RETAIL WORKERS ARE BEING FORCED TO WORK ON BOXING DAY AGAINST THEIR WISHES.

Finally, extending retail trade has consistently failed to WYV]PKL HU` LJVUVTPJ ILULÄ[ ^OPSL [OLYL PZ H O\NL social cost.

There is no good reason to continue to allow retail trading. It’s time to give Boxing Day back to families.

1. ‘The Economic Impact of Deregulating Boxing Day Trading in NSW’, The McKell Institute, Feb 2016 2. ‘Retailers hit by promotional fatigue – discounting comes back to haunt them’, Australian Financial Review, 1 Feb 2017 ‘Boxing Day Poll 2016’ Essential Research, Jan 2017

SDA NEWS I AUTUMN 2017 I PAGE 5

Paid Parental Leave protected – for now Last year, the SDA ran a strong campaign to protect Paid Parental Leave (PPL) after the Federal Coalition by Monica Rose, Government Industrial Officer proposed cuts that would leave retail workers worse off. The proposed cuts would have forced retail workers back to work early by not allowing them to access both employer and government paid parental leave schemes. The current PPL scheme was designed to provide new parents with 26 weeks off — as recommended by the World Health Organisation — through a partnership between the Government, employers and the community. Many SDA members have access to employer-provided PPL, but the Federal

Coalition proposed to cut the Government parental leave payment by the number of weeks’ pay an employee receives from their employer. The current paid parental leave scheme, which aims to achieve 26 weeks for all employees through a combination of government and employer paid leave is fair for all working families, not just some. The SDA’s lobbying of Members of Parliament, particularly crossbench Senators was crucial to securing opposition to the unfair cuts to the current PPL scheme. The SDA also provided a significant submission to the Senate Committee inquiry into the proposed changes.

The SDA’s campaign In order for the Government’s Bill to be passed in Parliament, the support of Senate crossbenchers was required.

The SDA ran postcard campaigns to key Senators in several states to send a message loud and clear — protect paid parental leave for working families. In Tasmania, SDA members sent thank you postcards to local ALP Senators and Senator Jacqui Lambie who opposed the cuts. In South Australia, SDA members called on Nick Xenophon and his Senators to keep their election promise to keep the current PPL scheme.

The outcome Over 1,300 South Australians signed postcards calling on the Nick Xenophon Team (NXT) to keep their promise. These were hand delivered to Senator Xenophon in Canberra. Shortly after that, NXT announced they would join the ALP in opposing the Liberal’s cuts. Because of this, the changes to PPL were not introduced.

Other aƩempted cuts to working families Paid Parental Leave was not the only thing under attack by the Turnbull Government. They also proposed a raft of cuts that would impact pact working families, including changes to Family Tax Benefits. Attempting to roll a range of savings measures into the same Bill which proposed improvements to child care held long-awaited Child Care funding to ransom and simply funded child care by taking money off working families somewhere else. Under the proposal, working ing families would have been far worse off. Under the Bill that was put forward, the following was proposed. Paid Parental Leave cuts:  68,000 families (41%) would have their PPL payment reduced. Average loss: $5,600.  4,000 families (2%) would no longer be eligible for PPL at all. Average loss: $12,106.80. Family Tax Benefits cuts:  1.1 million families would lose the Family Tax Benefit B (FTB-B) supplement of $354 per family per year.  Around 30,000 sole parents with children in high school aged 17-19 would lose FTB-B completely - $3,186 per family per year.

PAGE 18 I AUTUMN 2017 I SDA NEWS

< The pressure that the SDA, the ACTU and other unions continued to put on Senators was instrumental in ensuring that the Coalition Bill was defeated and the current scheme maintained. When asked, SDA National Secretary Gerard Dwyer said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;SDA members should be proud of keeping the pressure on Senators to protect Paid Parental Leave. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a great outcome for retail and low paid workers who will continue to be able to access the Government Paid Parental Leave Scheme, topped up by their employer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;New parents need essential time off with their newborn and the SDA will always stand up to protect that time for working families.â&#x20AC;? Well done to all involved in this. While the Federal Coalition Government continues to attack Paid Parental Leave, SDA members will continue to send a clear message that precious time with their children is not a political football.

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WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN E  THINGS INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WORKING IN AUSTRALIA

 If you’re on a student visa, you are only allowed to work 40 hours per fortnight when your course is in session. During break periods, you may work unlimited hours.

should receive a payslip listing your  You hours, wages, and any tax paid to the government — even if you get paid in cash.

 You are entitled to a minimum wage. are entitled to extra money if you  You work nights, weekends or public holidays. must obtain a Tax File Number from  You the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to be able to work. employer cannot force you onto an  Your individual contract.



You cannot work until you have commenced your course.

employer can’t deduct money from  Your your pay for breakages or if your cash register is short, and they can’t pay you in goods or services. earn more than $450 per month,  Ifyouryouemployer must pay superannuation.

 You are allowed to join a union. The SDA welcomes all people working in our industries as members; eligibility for membership is not affected by a person’s visa or residency status.

PAGE 20 I AUTUMN 2017 I SDA NEWS

The past 18 months has seen growing reports of employers paying staff far below the legal minimum by Susannah Hoffman, Organiser wage.

The SDA condemns this and is supporting the ‘Welcome to Work’ campaign along with the catering and hospitality union United Voice.

SOME EXAMPLES

Many examples of this sort of illegal,

immoral behaviour have been emerging. The following are just a small sample: 

7-Eleven. This has become the largest backpay recovery in Australia’s history, with an estimated $150 million owed to current and former employees. 

Overwhelmingly, the people affected by this exploitation are not members of a union. Often they are temporary migrants living in Australia on various work visas.

In a 2016 study by University of Sydney academic Dr Stephen Clibborn, nearly all the working

In February and March, the SDA — in partnership with Unions NSW — spent time campaigning at O-Week in major Sydney Universities. The SDA was able to explain to international students about their minimum entitlements. Many of these students were unaware that these entitlements existed.

Systematic underpayments at

international students who participated were being paid less than their legal entitlements. 

The ABC’s Four Corners program exposed the regular underpayment of labour hire workers on farms supplying Australia’s supermarkets. These workers also worked much longer hours of work than prescribed by the relevant Award.

Where there is no union, the only recourse is the Fair Work Ombudsman. With a limited number of inspectors for the whole country, they do not

N EXPLOITATION EPIDEMIC have adequate resources to police the entitlements for non-union members working within the Fair Work system. . This exploitation is too big for union members to ignore, and provides challenges for the Award and enterprise bargaining process. t Continued and systemic underpayment of staff is unfair to those employers who are paying correct entitlements, placing Award- and Agreementcompliant employers at a disadvantage. There are now half a million international students in Australia, many of whom take jobs on the side to support themselves. They are a particularly vulnerable group. Lack of familiarity with Australia has proved a challenge to them understanding the necessity of unions. China is Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest source of international students, but China does not have free trade unions. Chinese students would be unfamiliar with the union movement and therefore have reason to be cautious. O-Week provided the opportunity to speak with many d

international students at UNSW. The students were provided with a platform to voice their concerns about treatment in the workplace. It was an opportunity for students to discover how the union is a support network, to empower employees. The campaign created a lot of awareness for students and potential employees who did not have prior understanding of the union movement and basic rights which should be enforced. The SDA is also taking a proactive response by placing a full-page advertisement in the Studies in Australia guide which is distributed in China, India and other countries. The aim is for prospective international students to have some understanding

LATEST NEWS... In March, the Federal Government introduced a new law that aims to make company head offices liable for underpayment of franchisees. This is a welcome development, and makes it harder for another 7-Eleven type scandal to occur. It still remains a concern that the Government has made no attempt to improve enforcement, so the challenge of educating overseas workers about their entitlements still remains. Employers who were prepared to risk prosecution prior to this year are probably still going to risk it.

of work rights in Australia prior to their arrival.

SDA NEWS I AUTUMN 2017 I PAGE 21

Thanks for all your hard work o Delegates are the unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifeblood, putting in many hours of volunteer work each year for their workmates. Through October and November last year, functions were held around NSW and the ACT where Delegates were thanked for their dedication and awards presented to some especially long-serving Delegates.

PAGE 22 I AUTUMN 2017 I SDA NEWS

k over 2016

SDA NEWS I AUTUMN 2017 I PAGE 23

Who’s watching you? In recent years, the use of surveillance technologies, including CCTV surveillance, has increased by Bernard Govind, Industrial Officer

dramatically.

Technological improvements, affordability and broader security concerns have contributed to the increase in the use of

PAGE 24 I AUTUMN 2017 I SDA NEWS

each entrance that may be under

surveillance.

Workers have a right to privacy in parts of their workplace, and employers need to be mindful of employees’ concerns regarding the use of monitoring equipment.

CCTV can be an important tool in

enhancing the safety and wellbeing of

Important employer requirements

including loss and theft. CCTV’s purpose

Under legislation in New South Wales:

manage employees.



workplace as well.

now using CCTV cameras.



CCTV — not only in public areas, but at the

Many employers, including retailers, are

Signs must be clearly visible at

Surveillance equipment can be very useful for protecting people and property from harm, but can also be intrusive.



employees while they’re at work, and in protecting company property and assets

s p t

is not to monitor and/or performance

Employees must be given written notice 14 days prior to any surveillance occurring;

Retailers must use CCTV surveillance both

Camera or camera casings must be clearly visible; and

I i

appropriately and responsibly, and be

mindful of any concerns their employees

may have, including concerns around

privacy.

It’s a mystery Relevantly, legislation requires that

For some employees in retail and fast food, mystery shoppers are a regular

surveillance, including CCTV surveillance,

feature of their work environment. For others it is rare. Mystery shoppers

not be used for an improper purpose.

are meant to assess workers’ performance and quality of service without the

Specific prohibiƟons

knowledge that they are being ‘watched’.

New South Wales legislation imposes some

However, mystery shopping is by no means an exact science. People can often

specific prohibitions on employers including

be having an ‘off day’ or it may be that the store or restaurant is particularly

prohibition of any surveillance in change rooms,

busy or understaffed that day.

toilets, showers or other bathing facilities.

Evaluating an individual shop assistant’s performance based on a single

In other words, the use of CCTV in these areas

transaction is unfair and inaccurate. Any good scientist or statistician will tell

is not permitted.

you that coming up with a solution from a single experiment is not a good way

QuesƟons?

of doing things.

If you have any questions about this matter,

This is why the SDA strongly believes that there should be no adverse action

please speak to your Union Delegate or contact

taken against an employee, such as termination or demotion, or any action

the Union’s Sydney office on 131 SDA (131 732).

that may lead to adverse action such as a warning or counselling, as a result of a mystery shopper evaluation. Mystery shopping also denies employees their right to natural justice. If a person is accused of doing something wrong, it is only fair that they be allowed to face their accuser. If you are given a performance review on the basis of a mystery shopper evaluation, ask to speak to the person who conducted the review. If you are counselled, warned or terminated due to a mystery shopper evaluation, contact the SDA Information Office on 131 732 (that’s 131 SDA).

SDA NEWS I AUTUMN 2017 I PAGE 25

Heat tests aircon systems It’s been a sizzling summer with several heatwaves sending the mercury into the high 40s in areas of New South Wales. In many by Jane Lui, OHS Officer workplaces, these conditions showed up the air conditioning as being quite inadequate.

Petrol site A petrol station on the North Coast had inadequate air conditioning during a renovation period. It was so bad that the chocolates were melting in the display and had to be discarded. The staff were allowed to have drinking water and to wear cooler clothing but were still feeling nauseous. By the time we spoke to them, the members on site were understandably quite angry about the situation. The SDA contacted the company who fixed it within a week. A new regimen was put in

PAGE 26 I AUTUMN 2017 I SDA NEWS

placing extra drinking stations and allowing people to drink water on the floor.

place with more than one person rostered on at a time so that workers could have relief to take breaks.



Discount department store

Big box retailer

A second issue was in a discount department store in Western Sydney. In this site, the air conditioning was simply too old and was failing.

Big box retail establishments are not ideal for temperature control. Some measures put in place after SDA intervention included: 

allowing people extra breaks;

After the SDA intervened, extra breaks and cool drinking water were provided, and additional fans were installed where they could be.



providing drinking water;



relaxing the uniform policy to minimise unnecessary uniform items;



installing portable fans where people are stationary (e.g. door greeter and toolshop);



regularly providing iceblocks;



changing manual work to happen in cooler parts of the day and/or be done with assistance; and



providing shade to people who are out in the open.

That was good in the short term, but really the problem was the equipment which was eventually replaced after a very long battle.

DistribuƟon centres Distribution centres are more challenging than shops. Still, in two sites in Western Sydney, the SDA managed to secure improvements by: 

 

a design modification that reduced the amount of sunlight coming in through the roof; having fans placed on a pick line; instituting extra breaks when required;

None of it is a total solution but it can make a big difference and keep people out of the danger zone of exhaustion and dehydration. Be prepared next Summer to speak up if your conditions become intolerable.

REST Tops the Crop!

by Gerard Dwyer, National Secretary

REST has consistently delivered longterm investment performance for its customers since it was established in 1988.

As at December 2016, its largest investment option, the Core Strategy, had returned +8.69% p.a. since July 1988. This means that an investor who invested a dollar from the beginning would have grown that dollar by ten times. Guided by REST Investment Beliefs, REST’s focus and expertise have been key contributors to its success in meeting its long-term investment objectives. In pursuit of growing customers’ retirement savings above the rate of inflation over the long term, REST seeks to capture market opportunities

by buying “cheap” assets, and manages downside risk by lowering its exposure to “expensive” assets.

Incidentally, REST’s efforts have placed

REST will usually adopt investment positions with a defensive bias and may take positions different from the market based on research, rather than seeking to produce results similar to other funds.

the table below.

RANK 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Core Strategy at the top of peer rankings for its ten-year performance as shown in

This means our members are invested in one of the best performing superannuation funds in Australia.

SUPER FUND AND INVESTMENT OPTION REST - Core Strategy CareSuper - Balanced Cbus - Growth (Cbus MySuper) BUSSQ Premium Choice - Balanced Growth Catholic Super - Balanced HOSTPLUS - Balanced UniSuper Accum (1) - Balanced Commonwealth Bank Group Super - Balanced AustralianSuper - Balanced Equip MyFuture - Balanced Growth

10-YEAR RETURNS (% EACH YEAR) 6.34% 6.28% 6.07% 6.00% 5.99% 5.98% 5.95% 5.92% 5.83% 5.74%

Source: SuperRatings Fund Crediting Rate Survey December 2016. Notes: Returns displayed (from 1 month through to 10 years p.a.), are calculated net of investment fees, tax and implicit asset-based administration fees. Explicit fees such as fixed dollar administration fees, exit fees, contribution fees and switching fees are excluded.

INTRODUCING ‘ROGER’ REST Industry Super members can now get answers to most of their superannuation-related questions online. ‘Roger’ — REST’s Virtual Agent and Live Chat — is now live on the REST website at rest.com.au/member! Members can now ask Roger questions and he’ll do his best to point you in the right direction. Just ask your question using the search function at the top right of the home page, and you’ll be taken to Roger. You can talk to a dedicated live chat agent between 8am—10pm (AEST) Monday to Friday and 9am—6pm (AEST) on Saturdays.

SDA NEWS I AUTUMN 2017 I PAGE 27

Changing jobs? Taking REST with you has its rewards.

With low fees and competitive long-term performance, why would you go anywhere else? Find out more about the rewards of taking REST with you.

rest.com.au/stay

SuperRatings doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t issue, sell, guarantee or underwrite this product. Go to superratings. com.au for ratings criteria. For further information about the methodology used by Chant West, see www.chantwest.com.au. Awards and ratings are only one factor you should consider when making decisions on your super. For more info, visit rest.com.au/ ourawards. Product issued by REST. Contact us for a REST PDS to consider if it is right for you.

PAGE 28 I AUTUMN 2017 I SDA NEWS

A great day was had by all at our Family Day aat Jamberoo, held on Sunday 19 February. H Here are some pics of all the fun!

SSDA DA NNEWS EWS I A AUTUMN UTUMN 22017 017 I PPAGE AGE 2299

The Sydney Tower Eye

Madame Tussauds

Sydney Aquarium, Darling Harbour

SDA members and their families are entitled to a 20% discount on single adult and child entry tickets upon presentation of their current SDA membership card.

t (02) 9333 9222 a sydneytowereye.com.au

t (02) 9333 9240 a madametussauds.com/sydney

t (02) 8251 7800 a sydneyaquarium.com.au

t (02) 8251 7877 a manlysealifesanctuary.com.au

WILD LIFE Sydney

Australian National Maritime Museum

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Gold Coast

Featherdale Wildlife Park, Doonside

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary

SDA members and their families are entitled to a 20% discount on single adult and child entry tickets upon presentation of their current SDA membership card.

SDA members and their families are entitled to a 20% discount upon presentation of their current SDA membership card.

SDA members and their families are entitled to a 25% discount upon presentation of their current SDA membership card.

t (02) 9333 9288 a wild-life.com.au

t (02) 9298 3777 a anmm.gov.au

t (07) 5534 1266 a cws.org.au

t (02) 9622 1644 a featherdale.com.au

Gold Coast Attractions SDA members and their families are entitled to a 15% discount at these leading Gold Coast attractions:

Movieworld*

Seaworld*

Wet’n’Wild Dreamworld White Water Skypoint Water World* t (07) 5588 1111 World t (07) 5582 2700 t 133 FUN t 133 FUN (07) 5588 1111 t (133 386) (133 386) a dreamworld. a whitewaterworld. a skypoint. t 133 FUN myfun.com.au a myfun.com.au com.au com.au com.au a a myfun.com.au *Please note: you must pre-purchase your tickets through the SDA website to access the discounts on these attractions.

Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures

ABC Driving School

SDA members and their families are entitled to a 20% discount on single adult and child entry tickets upon presentation of their current SDA membership card. 1300 362 881. www.illawarrafly.com

SDA members and their children receive $25 oﬀ the standard cost of five lessons with ABC Driving School. For more information, go to abcdrivingschool.com.au or see the White Pages for your nearest branch.

Europcar Rentals

Coffs Coast Driving School

SDA members receive exclusive rates when they rent with Europcar. Simply quote 47699503 when making your booking. No PIN or Velocity number is required. For more information, phone Europcar on 1300 131 390 or go to europcar.com.au.

Get five one-hour lessons for just $275 – that’s a saving of $5 per lesson. We service Coﬀs Harbour and surrounding areas. Phone 0411 985 185 for more information.

PAGE 30 l AUTUMN 2017 l SDA NEWS

COFFS COAST

DRIVING SCHOOL

Oﬀer valid to 30 June 2017

TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS...

t n u o c Dis ie Tix v o M

+ order online at www.sdansw.org.au, + phone the SDA on 131 SDA (131 732) with your credit card details, or + purchase them in person at the SDA Sydney Office between 8.30am

and 4.00pm Monday to Saturday (except on public holidays).

HOYTS/EVENT E-TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE! SDA Movie Tickets for Hoyts and Event cinemas are now available as e-tickets, which you can print at home or redeem on a smartphone.

SDA NSW BRANCH + 131 SDA (131 732) + WWW.SDANSW.ORG.AU

www.engagingmembers.com.au

More for SDA NSW members. In the past, members have enjoyed:

A bank built for you. Did you know that ME is a bank built to help Australians get ahead? And as a member of SDA NSW you’re able to access exclusive beneﬁts and special offers via our Member Beneﬁts Program.

discounts on home loans

lower rates on credit cards

bonuses on term deposits

And the great news? We refresh our member offers regularly.

What are you waiting for? Take a look at what’s available to you right now at

mebank.com.au/beneﬁtssda

Terms, conditions, fees and charges apply. Applications for credit are subject to approval. This is general information only and you should consider if these products are right for you. Members Equity Bank Ltd ABN 56 070 887 679 Australian Credit Licence 229500.

SDA NEWS I AUTUMN 2017 I PAGE 31

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