SDA News 2019 Autumn

SDANEWS OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, NEW SOUTH WALES BRANCH f AUTUMN 2019 fRRP $10.00

CHOOSE WISELY IN THIS 4-7 pages 16-17 YEAR’S ELECTIONS! pages

SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, NSW BRANCH

WWW.SDANSW.ORG.AUFPHONE 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: Maria Dumycz

ORGANISERS LEAD ORGANISERS: Angela Ghanime, Joseph Bourke

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, Alison Varga, Josip Blazevic, Nathan Egan, Jessica Rebbechi, Ben Uphill, Mary Graham, Christopher Raj, Mary Axiak, Jacinta Moore, Alexander Kennedy, Nathan Beard, Rachael Hoffman, Matthew Hill

REGIONAL:

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

SPECIALISTS

INDUSTRIAL OFFICERS: Bernard Govind, Mitchell Worsley, Aliscia Di Mauro, Rose Ghabache, Monica Rose WORKERS’ COMPENSATION OFFICER: Michael Babic WHS OFFICER: Jane Lui SENIOR OPERATIONS OFFICER: Felicity Smithson OPERATIONS OFFICER: Phil Walker COMMUNICATIONS OFFICERS: Michael Walker, Peter Frawley, Paul Farrugia INFORMATION OFFICERS: Corrine Boyle, David Uzzell, Georgina Psillis, Renee Jaajaa, Nadia Olic, Jessica Chidiac, Effie Toumbas EDUCATION OFFICER: Philippe LeCompte

we need to What has happened to the great Australian concept of a ‘fair go all round’?

Unfortunately, in Australia today the rules for working people are not fair.

The rules favour big business and the wealthy. This is not right — we should all get a ‘fair go all round’.

At a Federal level, we need to change the rules to make them fair to working people. We need to: u protect penalty rates; u win fair pay rises; u stop wage theft; u make jobs more secure; and u make taxes fairer.

At a New South Wales level, we need to change the rules, too, to be fairer to our members.

We want: u free parking for retail workers; u Boxing Day with our families given back; u customer abuse stopped; and u fairer workers compensation laws.

That is why the SDA and the union movement want to change the rules to make them fairer.

Governments make the rules, so if we want to change the rules, we need to change the Governments.

As you receive this edition of SDA News, New South Wales will be close to going to the polls on 23 March to determine our next State Government. And a Federal Election will be held by May.

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your vote matters The SDA knows and respects that our members will vote for a range of candidates and parties based on what is important to them.

Both of these elections are very important for SDA members on a range of issues.

The positions of the major parties on these issues are set out on pages 4-7 and 16-17 for your information.

If these issues matter to you, have a look before you vote.

However you decide to vote, make sure your vote counts.

Make sure your ballot paper is filled in correctly so that your vote counts. improving your experience at work 2019 is a year where we want to change the rules around how retail, fast food and warehouse workers are treated at work.

SDA members always deserve something better.

We know the problems you face every day at work: 

knowing what your take-home pay is;

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understanding your roster;



having enough hours of work;



improving how you are treated at work, including by customers.

The SDA is always focused on solutions for your workplace.

Bargaining for a Better Deal Members do a great job serving the public every day, but you need fair pay and conditions.

Bargaining is currently underway with lots of retail, fast food and warehouse employers.

New Agreements have been voted up by members at Woolworths, Kmart and David Jones, and members at Big W are considering a new Agreement now (see pages 12-13).

Our key priorities in bargaining this year are:  protecting members’ take-home pay;  improving penalty rates;  keeping hard-won SDA conditions; and  securing pay rises for all members.

Secure Work Matters As well as pay rises, the SDA is focused on members having secure work, including rosters and how many hours of work you have each week.

We are pleased with a recent win at Amazon, who have just announced they are hiring 500 warehouse workers as direct employees.

The SDA is focused on conditions that enable current employees to be offered additional hours of work on top of secure base rosters, if they want them.

Whether it is additional hours for part-time employees, or the right for regular casual employees to convert to part-time work, we will bargain for more secure work.

Stable rosters that do not frequently change from cycle to cycle are also a priority.

No One Deserves a Serve One thing that we really want to change is the myth that the ‘customer is always right’.

It is never okay for customers to swear at, or physically confront retail workers.

All SDA members deserve respect. In the lead up to Christmas, we launched new No One Deserves a Serve ads to raise public awareness that customers have no right to abuse retail and fast food workers (see page 14).

In 2019, we will start practical trials of ways to reduce customer abuse in workplaces.

A Workplace Union We will also continue to look after members in their workplaces. We will challenge unfair rosters, make sure your pay is right, and demand you are treated with respect.

It is these thousands of issues that are resolved every day for members by your SDA Delegates and Organisers that keep us a workplace Union and make your workplace a better place to work.

There is much work to be done in 2019 to Change the Rules so you get a fair go all round.

Together, in 2019, let’s change the rules!

Bernie Smith, Branch Secretary SDA NEWS f autumn 2019 f PAGE 3

keeping the pressure up to res We have consistently kept the pressure on the NSW Government to reinstate Boxing Day as a closed shops day, but they haven’t listened to us.

Protesting in the streets, as we did last December (which you can see from the photos on these pages), where we received welcome support from passing shoppers, still didn’t sway them.

It appears that the only way that we’ll get the right to spend the day at home with our families and friends is to change the State Government.

Boxing Day is an important day for retail workers to relax and unwind, and to recharge their batteries after a hectic Christmas.

PAGE 4 f autumn 2019 f SDA NEWS

to restore boxing day

SDA NEWS f autumn 2019 f PAGE 5

nsw state election: Your vote, yo NSW voters will elect a new government on Saturday 23 March. This is an important election and will shape the future

by Bernie Smith, Branch Secretary of NSW and your workplace for years to come.

Where Each Party Stands

The SDA knows and respects that our members will vote for a range of candidates and parties, based on what is important to them.

This means that 97%* of customers park for free. However, 100% of retail and fast food workers have to pay to park, as the minimum shift time is three hours. For a retail worker doing a four-hour shift, this means paying 7.2% (or more) of their pay in parking fees.

However, SDA Delegates across NSW agree that it is important to let members know where the parties stand on key issues that are important to SDA members.

Because either the Labor Party or the Liberal/National Coalition will form Government after the election, this article only focuses on where both these parties stand on issues important to SDA members.

Your preferences count.

If you are not voting for a major party, carefully consider where your second preference goes as it will make a big difference as to who will get elected.

Cost of Living – free parking for retail & fast food workers All families are feeling the rising cost of living.

Cost of living is a constant pressure for retail, fast food and warehouse workers. Many shopping centres now have paid parking. Most of these shopping centres with paid parking have a free period for customers of either two or three hours.

Labor sees how unfair this financial burden retail workers face is — particularly casual and broken shift workers — when they pay for parking in shopping centres where they work, but where customers park for free. This charge can take up a large part of wages earned in a three-hour shift.

If elected on 23 March, a Daley Labor Government will immediately establish a working group to quickly examine this.

Labor is committed to safe and equitable access to work for retail workers.

This would be a significant saving for those retail workers at a time when everyone is feeling the pressure of the cost of living.

Issues raised by SDA members SDA members have indicated issues of concern to them in the upcoming NSW State election include:

Time pressure on families – Give Us Back Our Boxing Day

cost of living pressures; u time pressure on family time; u job security; and u respect at work.

Last year, the Berejiklian Liberal/National Government allowed all shops to open on Boxing Day and, sadly, some shops tried to get members to work on Christmas Day too!

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PAGE 6 f autumn 2019 f SDA NEWS

The Liberal NSW Government has not done anything to prevent the increase in paid parking for retail and fast food workers.

According to the ABS, overall retail sales in NSW for December last year fell, despite the extra day of trade on Boxing Day. There is no economic benefit to trading on Boxing Day, but there is a real social cost for retail workers and their families.

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The Berejiklian Liberal Government wants all shops to open on Boxing Day — and that means Christmas Day is also now at risk.

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Labor leader Michael Daley understands the pressure on retail workers and their family time. Michael Daley and Labor will close the shops again on Boxing Day and give Boxing Day back to the families of NSW.

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Job security Job security is a key issue of concern to SDA members. make wage theft a crime

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Being paid properly for the work you do is one of the simplest things that workers should be able to expect. 7-Eleven highlighted the problem of systematic and widespread wage theft across NSW.

If an employer deliberately takes money from an employee, it should be treated as theft.

Labor will make deliberate wage theft a crime with criminal penalties.

The Liberal Party does not support making deliberate wage theft by employers a crime.

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Labor has committed to a labour-hire licensing scheme to ensure labour-hire operators are reputable. To remain licensed they will be required to pay workers properly including their wages and superannuation.

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The current NSW Liberal Government does not support labour-hire licensing and has in fact tripled their own use of insecure labourhire since they came to Government.

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If you are injured at work, you should have access to fair workers compensation laws that help you get back to work, or compensate you if you can’t. severely cut in 2011 by the Liberal/National Government — they created the current unfair workers compensation laws.

Labor has committed to a fairer set of workers compensation laws, consistent with the 12 principles for fair workers compensation that Unions NSW and the SDA have pressed for.

Respect at Work – No One Deserves a Serve Customer abuse of retail and fast food workers is at endemic levels. iCare NSW and the SDA are committed to trialling new measures to reduce customer abuse.

Labor has committed to doubling the funding for iCare NSW to undertake trials to reduce customer abuse of retail and fast food workers.

At the time of writing, the Liberal/National coalition has not yet committed to doubling this funding.

Your Vote – Your Voice I encourage all members to vote for fairness in the upcoming NSW election. Consider what a change of government will mean for you at work.

Don’t forget that your vote and your

new south wales election scorecard ISSUE

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Fair workers comp laws Other issues important to you

preferences matter. *Westfield Ltd versus Burwood Council [Land and Environment Court decision].

SDA NEWS f autumn 2019 f PAGE 7

Your public holiday entitle Easter is almost here, and you need to know your entitlements over this period. Here are answers to some of the most

by Robert Tonkli Assistant Secretary common questions we receive from members working in New South Wales.

It is most important to note that the specific entitlements with respect to public holidays are governed by the Agreement or Award applicable to your employment.

Depending on which company you work for, there may be some differences in the rights outlined below. You should refer to your Agreement or Award to ensure your workplace entitlements are observed.

Trading hours NSW legislation operates to place certain restrictions on shop trading hours over Easter and on Anzac Day. Restrictions apply to general shops on: u Good Friday, 19 April; u Easter Sunday, 21 April; and u Prior to 1.00pm on Anzac Day, 25 April.

Unless granted a restricted trading exemption by the Director General of the NSW Department of Services, Technology and Administration, general shops must remain closed.

If a general shop is granted an exemption to trade on Good Friday, Easter Sunday or prior to 1.00pm on Anzac Day, it is a condition of the exemption that the shop

must be staffed by persons who have freely elected to work on that day.

This requirement also applies to special shops such as takeaway food shops, chemists, newsagencies and video stores.

There must be no coercion, harassment, threat or intimidation by or on behalf of the occupier of the shop.

There are no restrictions on shop trading hours on the following days: Easter Saturday, 20 April;

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After 1.00pm on Anzac Day, 25 April.

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Do you have to work on a public holiday?

Most Agreements negotiated by the SDA provide that all work on a public holiday is voluntary for all employees, including casuals.

Full-time and part-time employees who are rostered on but who refuse to work receive the benefit of the public holiday at the ordinary time rate of pay.

For employees covered by the General Retail Industry Award, public holiday entitlements are covered by the National Employment Standards (“the NES”). The NES provides that an employee is entitled to be absent on a public holiday, however, an employer may request that an employee work on a public holiday if the request is reasonable. An employee may refuse an employer’s request to work on a public holiday if the employer’s request is unreasonable.

What do you get paid?

Typically, SDA-negotiated Agreements provide for the following entitlements: u Full-time and part-time employees who are rostered to work ordinary hours on a public holiday and who agree to work are paid time-and-a-quarter for the work they perform plus their normal day’s pay (this is equivalent to doubletime-and-a-quarter). u Full-time and part-time employees who are not rostered to work ordinary hours but who agree to work are paid at the rate of double-time-and-a-quarter with a minimum payment for three hours of work. u Casuals working on a public holiday are paid at the rate of double-time-anda-quarter with a minimum payment for three hours of work.

Can your employer change your roster to avoid paying a public holiday benefit?

Under most Agreements negotiated by the SDA, it is illegal for an employer to change your roster in order to avoid the payment of a public holiday entitlement.

If your roster is changed to your detriment over the Easter/Anzac Day period, or if you are not paid correctly, you should contact the Union immediately.

If you are rostered to work on a public holiday but you are sent home early, it is the Union’s position that you must still be paid for the total number of hours that you agreed to work. This applies even to casuals.

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titlements over Easter If you are sent home early and not paid for the full hours you are contracted to work, you should contact the Union without delay.

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Do i get PAi D if A PuBLic ed from previous hoLiDAY fAL page on MY non-ro Ls the nature of the stereD DAY? work and the wor A full-time emp kplace; the employee’s loyee whose non personal circu -working day falls mstances, inclu shal responsibilities; l receive by mut on a public holid ding family ual agreement: ay u whe ther the employe ociu Ate An addistional day cAn MY eMPLoYer chAnge MY e is entitled to Big w Ass off; or roster to AVoiD receive overtime penalty rates or McDonALD u Paym PAYing Me A PuBLic hoLiDAY Benefit , other compensati ent of an additiona wooL ’s eMPLoYee ? on for work on wort l day’ public holiday; hs s suPe pay; or rMArkets s the u An additional day No. Clause 19.1(g) of the Agreement u the of annual leave provides that a team type of employm (for Part 1 empeMPLoYees *continued from previous page ent Part (full -time (permanent) loyees only).

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Part-time employees will receive your pub r, questions about your publ ting Have a happy and relaxing enti tlements orsafely. lic holiday alterna an work they if trad or if ic you drive are on the roads this Easter, drivetrad holiday entitleme week, ing arrangemen ing arrangemen safely. average of five starts per nts or ts over the Eas if you are on the roads thisAnzEaster, ts over this East ac Day period, they worktinthe union ter/ er/Anzac Day falls on a day on which contAc please speak to speak to your Dele period, please roster and the public holiday your Delegate your Organiser gate, contact your , contact or phone the SDA Organiser or phon If you have any questions about your Sydney office on any week of their roster cycle.

Sydney office on e the SDA public holiday (that’s 131 732) 131 SDA (that’s public holiday on a for 131 .

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Authorised by entitlements or trading arrangements Casual employees do not Bernie Smith, Branc Authorised by over Easter and on h Secretary-Tre Allied Employees’ Bernie Smith, Branc d to work. asurer, Shop, Distrib Association, NSW h Secretary-Treasu Allied Employees’ utive and which they are not rostere Branch, Level 3, Anzac Day, please speak to your Delegate, Association, NSW rer, Shop, Distrib 8 Quay St, Sydne utive and Branch, Level 3, contact your y NSW 2000.

2/19010 8 Quay St, Sydne y NSW 2000.

2/19010 contAct the union Organise ents r or phone entitlem the SDA holiday Sydney office public on 131 SDA about your Distributive and Authorised by Bernie Smith, Branch Secretary-Trea If you have any questions Shop, Treasurer, Secretaryperiod, Branch (that’s surer, Shop, Distributive and 131 732).

Authorised by Bernie Smith, the Easter/Anzac Day Allied Employees’ Association, NSW Branch, St, Sydney NSW 2000.

Level 3, 8 Quay St, Sydney NSW 2000. , NSW Branch, Level 3, 8 Quay or trading arrangements over Allied Employees’ Association or phone 2/19010 2/19010 te, contact your Organiser please speak to your Delega SDA (that’s 131 732). the SDA Sydney office on 131 *continu

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Contact the Union If you are not paid correctly, if your roster is changed to your detriment, if you are sent home before the conclusion of your contracted shift because trade is slow, if you do not receive your non-working-day benefit or if you do not receive your complete public holiday entitlement, you should speak to your SDA Delegate or contact the SDA Information Centre immediately for advice and assistance.

If you have any questions about your public holiday entitlements or trading arrangements over this period, please speak to your Delegate, contact your Organiser or phone the SDA Sydney office on 131 SDA (131 732).

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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 19 April Easter Saturday Saturday 20 April Easter Sunday Sunday 21 April Easter Monday Monday 22 April Anzac Day Thursday 25 April

Public Holiday?

Yes

Is Work Voluntary?

Yes

Yes

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 f autumn 2019 f PAGE 9

showing our appreciation Delegates are the Union's lifeblood, putting in many hours of volunteer work for their workmates each year. late last year, functions were held around nsw and the act, where we thanked delegates for their dedication, and presented awards to some especially long-serving delegates.

PAGE 10 f autumn 2019 f SDA NEWS

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SDA NEWS f autumn 2019 f PAGE 11

new agreement NEGOTIATED at BIG w

Following extensive negotiations between the SDA and Big W, a new Agreement has been unanimou Delegates and is now being rolled out to members in stores across Australia.

The Agreement delivers an outcome consistent with the SDA’s four key priorities, set and endorsed by hun Delegates at meetings held throughout Australia: Protection of your take-home pay.

New and increased penalty rates.

Yearly wage increases.

Most hard-won union conditions retained.

If approved by team members, the Agreement will commence seven days after approval by the Fair Work C For more details on the new Agreement, go to: www.national.sda.com.au/BigW/

Membership fee adjustment The SDA continues to work hard to provide professional union representation, getting results and offering a range of services and benefits, all at the most affordable price possible.

Our day-to-day work involves: negotiating and re-negotiating Enterprise Agreements; handling members’ issues; producing PAGE 12 f autumn 2019 f SDA NEWS

leaflets, booklets and a range of publications that are available to members without charge; lobbying governments, local through to federal, over issues and

The fee adjustment ranges from 15 cents to 40 cents a week.

Our new fees from the first pay period after 1 July 2019 are: Less than 10 hours: $4.10 per week u 10 hours but less than 20 hours: $7.30 per week u 20 hours or more per week: $10.20 per week u

matters that impact on our members and their families; and representing members both individually and collectively in various tribunals and courts.

Your Union fees are tax deductible — so don’t forget to claim them on your tax return.

S

A T W M

bargaining update The Union finished 2018 by securing a number of new enterprise agreements for SDA members. woolworths Woolworths Supermarkets members resoundingly endorsed their new Agreement with 93% support. The Agreement was approved in January. kmart Members at Kmart voted strongly in favour of their new Agreement which is awaiting approval before the Fair Work Commission (FWC).

en unanimously endorsed by

dorsed by hundreds of SDA store

he Fair Work Commission.

week eek

t

david jones David Jones members have a new Agreement that was approved by the FWC following 95% member support.

See page 24. the reject shop The Reject Shop Agreement was also strongly supported by members.

Noni b The SDA is challenging the Noni B Group Agreement before the FWC and have been in dispute with Noni B over their attempts to cut members’ permanent hours. Well done to all members who have stood up to this unfair cut.

GSK At GSK, the Panadol manufacturer, the new SDA Agreement received 99% support. bunnings warehouse Bunnings negotiations have been difficult and drawn out. However, throughout the process we have secured regular pay rises for members.

As we go to print, there has been significant progress in the negotiations, with the SDA so far securing: u removing the bank of hours system; u new rostering provisions; u increased penalty rates; and u maintaining hard-won Union conditions.

We are still working through a number of matters, but will keep Bunnings members informed of all developments. more to come Negotiations are continuing with a number of companies, including McDonald’s and many warehouse operators. This year will be just as busy as 2018 in securing better wages and conditions for retail, fast food and warehouse workers.

As always, if you work in retail , distribution and warehousing, fast food, or online, it pays to belong to the SDA!

STOP PRESS!

Amazon has just announced they are hiring 500 warehouse workers as dir ect employees.

This development comes just three mo nths after the SDA and the TWU forme d the Online Retail and Delivery Workers Alliance and the SDA broug ht a Federal Court case on behalf of a member working at Amazon in Moorebank. The SDA and the TWU loo k forward to meeting and directly enga ging with Amazon.

SDA NEWS f autumn 2019 f PAGE 13

calling out bad behaviour!

In December 2018, the SDA launched a new advertising campaign as part of the No One Deserves A Serve campaign to prevent and eliminate abusive and violent customer behaviour towards workers.

The SDA surveyed over 1,000 fast food workers across Australia about their experiences.

Key facts from the fast food survey on customer abuse u 80% of respondents said they have experienced abuse from a customer at work in the last 12 months. u 41% of respondents were 17 years or under. u 87% of respondents experienced verbal abuse or aggressive behaviour. u 28% of respondents experienced physical abuse, such as punching, hitting and pushing (or threats of physical abuse including death threats and threats with a weapon) by a customer.

32% of respondents said incidents of customer abuse or violence involved behaviour that was sexual in nature. u 44% of respondents said the abuse they experienced has impacted on their mental or physical health. u

getting the message out The new advertising campaign focused on young fast food workers who are facing horrific and violent incidents of abuse.

Our message to customers was loud and clear: abuse is not part of the job. Working in fast food doesn’t put workers below you, they are just trying to do their job.

The campaign hit national headlines in December as the advertising blitz ran in every State and Territory on television, radio, online and social media.

You may have also seen a billboard in a shopping centre car park or on a bus around town.

working towards a solution

The SDA is committed to working towards effective and practical solutions to address this serious workplace health and safety issue.

On top of creating awareness and calling out customers across the country, we’re working with employers, employer groups and relevant Government agencies to ensure this issue remains in the spotlight.

Industry players must do more to protect workers and mitigate risks in their workplaces.

Abusive and violent customer behaviour is a serious workplace health and safety issue that impacts the mental and physical health of fast food workers.

It’s clear that on a daily basis, fast food workers are being subjected to constant verbal abuse, threats of violence and in some cases, actual physical assault.

“ ““ ““ “ “

PAGE 14 f autumn 2019 f SDA NEWS

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Real stories from fast food workers

“. “. “. “. “. “. “.

I stopped a customer stealing at the door and was later physically assaulted on my way home Threatened to break my kneecaps with a bat Have had a screwdriver held to my throat I have been threatened with rape I have been told to go and kill myself on multiple occasions A customer threatened to kill me and jump through the drive-through window I had to go home early because of the way a customer treated me I get anxious when coming to work in fear that another customer will abuse me

”

”

”

” ”

”

”

SDA NEWS f autumn 2019 f PAGE 15

to change the rules, you hav to change the government

Our current system of rules at work do not provide a fair go for all.

The rules are unfair because under the current rules: u penalty rates are being cut in

by Bernie Smith, Branch Secretary Awards; u it is harder to get fair pay rises through bargaining; u wage theft and the underpayment of superannuation is rampant; and u jobs have become less secure because of labour hire or casualisation.

At the same time, the tax rules seem to favour the wealthy and multi-nationals over the needs of families faced with rising cost of living pressures.

To change these rules, you need to change the federal Government.

Federal election in May this year Australia goes to the polls for a Federal election in May this year.

If we want to change the rules to make work fairer, we need to change the government.

But what are you changing to?

The SDA knows and respects that our members will vote for a range of candidates and parties based on what is important to them. Your vote is your choice.

However, SDA Delegates across NSW and the ACT agree that it is important to let members know where the parties stand on key issues in the workplace, like penalty rates, and on the economy/tax.

PAGE 16 f autumn 2019 f SDA NEWS

Other issues will arise as we get closer to the election, but if the issues below are important to you, please consider them when it comes time to vote.

We are focused on the Labor Party and the Liberal/National Coalition in this article, as one of them will form government after the election.

Even if you don’t vote for a major party, you need to know where they stand on these issues, so you can consider who you give your preferences to when you vote.

Penalty rates Labor has committed to restoring higher Sunday penalty rates within 100 days of being elected to Government.

The Liberal/Nationals do not support restoring higher Sunday penalty rates and many Liberal/National MPs are in favour of cutting penalty rates.

Fair pay rises Labor supports fairer bargaining laws for Australians, to allow bargaining at the enterprise level or with a number of employers so that workers can get fairer pay rises.

Labor also supports fixing industry Awards to allow fairer pay rises too.

Wage theft and making Superannuation fairer Labor will increase the penalties for wage theft to be three times the amount the employer takes.

Labor will also make it easier for workers to get back unpaid superannuation. At the moment, you have to get into the Tax Office queue to get your unpaid super back. Labor will allow cases to be heard in the Fair Work Commission to get unpaid super fixed quickly.

Last year, the Liberals advocated reducing the penalty on employers who didn’t pay superannuation and claimed that would somehow encourage bad employers to pay up!

Making jobs more secure Having a job you can count on is very important for members.

Labor has committed to secure jobs by: requiring employers to pay labour hire workers the same pay as their own employees;

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having a national labour hire licensing scheme;

u

stopping sham contracting with ABNs;

u

increasing the number of apprentices;

The Liberals/Nationals do not support changes to the Award system or the bargaining system that would make it easier to negotiate fairer pay rises.

u

Instead, the Liberal Party says that if bigger tax cuts are given to big business, they might pass some of their extra profits on to their workers!

u

ending the uncapped temporary working visa system by requiring proper labour market testing of labour needs; and

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properly defining casual work.

The Liberals/Nationals have not committed to any of these initiatives to create more secure work.

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Making tax fairer for working families In the lead up to the election, there will be a lot of discussion and some misinformation on tax.

Labor has been very open about its proposed changes to tax rules, and they are aimed at ensuring the wealthy and multi-nationals pay their fair share.

The Liberals/Nationals changes to tax rules in the last budget were skewed to helping the wealthiest (those on incomes up to $200,000) more than helping those on lower incomes.

At the same time, the Liberals have repeatedly attempted to give tax cuts to big business.

A fair set of tax rules should be progressive — the less you earn, the less tax you pay and the more you earn, the greater your capacity to pay.

Generally, for SDA members, changes to taxes that require big business or wealthy individuals to pay more tax are a good thing, while tax cuts or handouts to big business or the wealthy are not.

Members should evaluate the Labor and Liberal tax plans against this simple test.

Have your say on Election Day The SDA respects that members will vote for a range of candidates and parties at the next federal election. It’s your vote, it’s your choice.

WHERE DO THE PARTIES STAND ON THE ISSUES? ISSUE

ALP

LIB/NAT

PENALTY RATES

3 3

7 7

FAIRER TAXES

3 3 3

7 7 7

OTHER ISSUES IMPORTANT TO YOU

?

?

FAIR PAY RISES DEALING WITH WAGE THEFT SECURE JOBS

I encourage all members to vote for fairness at work, and for a fair tax system. If you want to change the rules, you need to change the government.

In the end it’s up to you.

It’s your vote, it’s your choice.

SDA NEWS f autumn 2019 f PAGE 17

12 - 23 AP R I L 2 019

SPECIAL

SDA MEMBERS

OFFER

SAVE 20% ON SHOW TICKETS ✁ Order by Friday, 29 March 2019

MAIL PHONE ONLINE

this completed form to SDA, PO Box K230, Haymarket NSW 1240 the SDA Union Office on 02 9281 7022, or visit www.sdansw.org.au and log in to the members-only section

I would like to purchase: No. of adult tickets:

@ $34.40 (incl GST) each = $

.

No. of child^ tickets:

@ $21.00 (incl GST) each = $

.

No. of concession* tickets:

@ $26.00 (incl GST) each = $

.

^Child

includes children aged 4-15 years, and school children 16-18 years with a ROA School Pupil ID (Form 202) or School Transport Pass. Children aged 3 years and under have free admission. * Concession includes Fulltime tertiary students with transport ID; Pensioners; NSW Seniors Card holders; War Widow/ers withTransport ID

Children 3 and under: admission free!

I’m paying by:

■ ■

Tickets will be sent via Registered or Express Post unless collected from the Union Office reception.

Cheque or money order payable to SDA, or Visa

■

Credit card no:

MasterCard

Plus postage: (registered post)

$

4.50

Plus postage: (express post)

$

6.00

Total:

$

.

Please send my tickets to: Name:

Expiry Date:

Cardholder Name:

/

SDA Membership No:

Phone No:

Postal Address:

Signature:

Email Address:

Information provided on this group booking form may be deemed ‘personal information’ as defined by the Privacy Laws. This information is collected for the purposes of processing and assessing your booking and recording this information for RAS, its agents and administrative purposes, archival purposes. The provision of this information is voluntary, however, if this information is not provided, SDA or its agents may not be able to process your booking or otherwise affect the purposes for which the information has been provided or collected. This information will not be used for any other purpose unless required by law. You have the right of access to and alteration of personal information concerning yourself in accordance with the Privacy Laws.

Authorised by Bernie Smith, Secretary-Treasurer, SDA NSW Branch, Level 3, 8 Quay Street, Sydney NSW 2000

RAS748_SDA PA_OCT2018.indd 1

30/10/18 4:25 pm

australia needs a pay rise

by Robert Tonkli Assistant Secretary

Each year, the Fair Work Commission conducts their Annual Wage Review. The review forms a key part of lifting wages for retail and fast food workers.

This is how pay rates are set in Australia: The minimum wage is the minimum amount any Australian worker can earn.

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Award rates of pay set out the minimum rates of pay by industry.

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For example, the General Retail Industry Award and the Fast Food Industry Award.

An Enterprise Bargaining Agreement is specific to your company and is negotiated directly by your union and your employer to make you better off overall than the Award rates of pay.

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The Annual Wage Review sets the increase to the minimum wage and Award rates of pay each year.

That’s why the SDA strongly supports the

The gap between the rich and poor is

Australian Unions submission to raise

growing, and raising the minimum wage

wages every year.

is key to curbing income inequality and

Our submission looks at what is fair and reasonable, what’s happening with the economy, whether workers are getting their fair share, and what workers are experiencing in their everyday lives.

maintaining the fair Australian way of life.

We know that the rising cost of living is putting pressure on workers – whether you’re at uni trying to study and pay rent, or you’re a parent working part-time and trying to cover the cost of childcare.

And each and every year, business

Pay rises are not given - they are won by

a living wage

groups make submissions arguing for

unions like the SDA.

The SDA believes the minimum wage must be a living wage.

a minimal increase or sometimes no

together, we are stronger

A wage that allows a worker in full-time employment to have decent housing, a healthy diet, good quality education, healthcare, transport, electricity, clothing and contingency savings if something goes wrong.

re-balancing is needed

increase at all.

The more active members we have, the stronger we are and the more we can

Australia has one of the best minimum

achieve.

wages in the world but the reality is that

It pays to be a Union member.

wages are flatlining and inequality is

Now is the time to encourage your

getting worse.

workmates to join the SDA. SDA NEWS f autumn 2019 f PAGE 19

an opportunity at o-week The SDA recently took the opportunity to let young workers know about their rights and responsibilties, as well as how the Union can help them, by setting up booths at university O-Weeks.

Surveys consistently show that young people, and those from overseas who are studying in Australia, are particularly vulnerable workers.

Some unscrupulous employers take advantage of these workers’ lack of experience and knowledge of their rights, and underpay them and/or fail to provide them with the correct entitlements.

The Union is committed to educating workers on their rights, and O-Weeks are just one of the ways that we get the message out!

PAGE 20 f autumn 2019 f SDA NEWS

k $200 gift cards We’ve got 10 to give away!

We’re giving away ten $200 Jetstar gift cards.

To enter this competition, simply: 1. Register online at www.sdansw.org.au or 2. Scan this image with your QR‐enabled smartphone or 3. SMS JETSTAR, your first name, your last name and your membership number (for example: JETSTAR John Smith M1234567*) to 0429 577 943 or 4. Enter by mail – write your name, address, SDA membership number, phone number and employer's name on a piece of paper, pop it into an envelope and mail it to SDA Competitions, PO Box K230, Haymarket NSW 1240.

You must have your entry in by FRIDAY 3 MAY 2019.

Entries are limited to one per member.

The first 10 entries drawn from the barrel will win. * Your entry must be in this format or the SMS system will reject the entry.

WINNERS FROM THE COMPETITIONS HELD IN EACH ISSUE OF SDA NEWS CAN BE FOUND IN THE INFONET SECTION OF WWW.SDANSW.ORG.AU

action to stop sexual harassment Last year, the

One in three people (33%) surveyed had been sexually harassed at work in the last five years (up from 21% in 2012).

u

Australian Human Rights Commission launched the National Inquiry,

Almost two in five women (39%) and just over one in four men (26%) had experienced sexual harassment.

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‘Sexual Harassment

by Monica Rose, Industrial Officer

in Australia Workplaces’.

The inquiry has been set up to look at the experiences of sexual harassment in the workplace, and what needs to be changed to reduce it in our workplaces.

During the inquiry, the AHRC released the results of their fourth survey on sexual harassment at work.

The results of the survey are quite shocking:

And of those who had experienced sexual harassment in both industries, 30% said this harassment was from a customer. the sda’s role The SDA is taking a number of steps to address these alarming statistics.

45% of people aged 18-29 reported being sexually harassed.

We will be conducting a survey jointly with

Only 17% make a report or complaint.

the experience of our members.

u

u

the AHRC to understand in more detail

These results show just how prevalent sexual harassment is, and reinforce that change is certainly needed to address this.

This information will also assist us to

Alarmingly, the level of sexual harassment experienced in the retail industry is even higher than most — 42% of people working in retail said they had experienced sexual harassment, while 39% of fast food workers had experienced sexual harassment.

as to what changes are needed to

make submissions to the National Inquiry, helping us to formulate suggestions better protect our members from sexual harassment.

The SDA has participated in a number of consultations as part of the Inquiry, and on 12 February the SDA hosted a consultation with young workers.

Thank you to the wonderful members and Delegates who attended and shared their stories with the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Kate Jenkins.

Our No One Deserves a Serve campaign also continues, and as part of this campaign we are continuing work to raise awareness that no form of harassment from customers is acceptable at work. we’re here for you If you experience sexual harassment in the workplace, the SDA can assist you.

Speak to your Delegate, Organiser or call the SDA on 131 732. We will support you.

PAGE 22 f autumn 2019 f SDA NEWS

time theft=wage theft Have you ever come in early just to get ahead?

by Karl San Pedro Organiser

Ever clocked off and went back to work ‘just to tidy up’, or ‘finish off some paperwork’?

Taken work home or completed required training at home?

Worked through your breaks?

Last year, a survey conducted by the Australia Institute found that Australians are working an average of six hours unpaid overtime a week valued at $106 billion!

You must be paid for all time worked – it’s the law!

No person should ever work and not be paid.

If your manager requires you to complete a job or task you must be paid.

If you have not completed your tasks by the end of your rostered shift, you need to clarify with your line manager (it’s best to have a colleague or Delegate witness your conversation) whether they authorise you to stay back or not.

You cannot continue working without authorisation or clock off and return to work unpaid.

Check your Enterprise Agreement or Award for your overtime provisions, as the rate at which you are paid may depend on your particular circumstances (for example, if you are a part-time employee who has agreed to work additional hours at the ordinary rate).

In many companies, time off In lieu (TOIL) of overtime is usually at the overtime

equivalent — i.e. if overtime is payable at 150%, then 1 hour of overtime is equivalent to 1.5hrs of TOIL. Don’t get short changed!

Working Unpaid Affects Everyone Working outside of rostered hours paints an inaccurate picture of how many hours need to be allocated to get certain tasks or work done. Addressing workload and staffing concerns can be undermined because productivity may be inaccurately overblown due to unpaid work. As a result, additional hours that could otherwise be available and distributed may not be offered.

Salaried Team Members have rights too!

Contracts for salaried employees often do allow for the working of ‘reasonable additional hours’. This, however, is no excuse for workers to be asked to work excessive hours — such requests can be deemed unreasonable and can be a risk to health and safety. The SDA is here to support all members.

Join Your Union Many workers find it difficult to say “no” to unreasonable management directives. The SDA is a union of workers, and standing together makes it possible to just say no to working unreasonable overtime. Make your workplace stronger by ensuring all your colleagues are Union members.

If you need support with an issue relating to workload or unpaid overtime, speak to your workplace Delegate, Organiser or contact the SDA Information Centre on 131 SDA (that’s 131 732).

https://www.smartcompany.com.au/people-human-resources/ human-resources/aussies-owed-106-billion-overtime/

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/21/ time-theft-australians-work-two-months-unpaid-overtime-a-year

SDA NEWS f autumn 2019 f PAGE 23

new agreement at david jo

Following negotiations between the SDA and David Jones, a new Agreement has approved by the Fair Work Commission following 95% of members voting in favour of it.

The Agreement delivers an outcome consistent with the SDA’s four key priorities, set and endorsed by hundreds of SDA store Delegates at meetings held throughout Australia: Protection of your take-home pay.

New and increased penalty rates.

Yearly wage increases.

Most hard-won union conditions retained.

The Agreement has been approved by the Fair Work Commission and came into effect on 26 February. It has a nominal expiry date of four years after the date of approval.

For more details on the new Agreement, go to national.sda.com.au/DavidJones/ PAGE 24 f autumn 2019 f SDA NEWS

id jones

ed

the union difference

Glaxo SmithKline has announced the planned shutdown of their facility at Ermington after 60 years of operations.

It’s a hard decision for their loyal

by Bernard Govind Industrial Officer

workforce, among Australia’s best-paid manufacturing workers.

SDA members have persevered and worked very hard over a very long period of time to have such good pay and conditions.

This makes the closure all the sadder.

As part of their program to assist the workforce through this transition, Glaxo should be commended for giving several years’ advance notice of the shutdown.

They will pay generous redundancy entitlements negotiated with the SDA, and they have provided assistance for workers to find alternative employment.

Compare the pair Compare the experience at Glaxo to that of Wendy.

Wendy was a private SDA member who worked in the back office of a retailer for close to 30 years. One day, she turned up to work, and found her desk cleared, and her computer removed.

This was how she learned she had been made redundant.

We helped restore Wendy’s dignity by disputing (and ultimately settling) the redundancy, with representation directly before the CEO and head of HR of the company.

Wendy was tremendously grateful for the assistance of the SDA in her matter. She is an advocate for the SDA. Wendy’s experience is a sad but salient example of how workers are treated in non-unionised workforces.

Although the Union ultimately won her case, the difference in culture between the two companies is stark.

SDA NEWS f autumn 2019 f PAGE 25

To find out if you could be reducing the cost of your energy bill and giving yourself greater spending flexibility over the Easter/Anzac Day period, go to: bit.ly/SDA_NSW or contact (02) 8880 1463.

rest continues to perform

The December quarter was a difficult one for investments, with both the Australian and overseas share markets

by Gerard Dwyer, National Secretary experiencing some setbacks. Super funds, including Rest, have significant investments in those share markets and this means that returns for super funds, across the board, were somewhat lower.

Despite this, Rest continued to deliver competitive long-term investment returns to members. Rest’s Core Strategy: u has averaged a solid 8.37% annually over the last 10 years to 31 December 2018; u is above the median return of 7.81% annually for the same period across all super funds with a similar investment profile.

This result means that Rest, again, met its investment objective for the Core strategy of inflation +3% annually over a rolling 10-year period. This objective is designed to provide strong growth over the long term and maintain the buying power of members’ account balances for their retirement.

Fund Option Return as at 31 December 2018 QSuper – QSuper Balanced Telstra Super Corp Plus – Balanced AustralianSuper – Balanced UniSuper Accum (1) – Balanced Rest – Core Strategy CareSuper – Balanced Equip MyFuture – Balanced Growth Hostplus – Balanced Cbus – Growth (Cbus MySuper) Catholic Super – Balanced (MySuper)

rest.com.au

As 97% of Rest’s members are in the core strategy, around 1.8 million Rest members have benefitted from Rest’s Core Strategy performance.

In addition to the strong performance, it should be noted that Rest’s fees are among the lowest in the industry. The combination of a strong performance and lower fees will contribute to a better retirement outcome.

Managing risk As already stated, late in 2018, share markets became more volatile as investors reacted to several concerns, including: rising interest rates globally;

u

growing trade tensions; and

u

the uncertainty of Brexit raising the risk that the UK could fall into recession.

u

Economic growth globally remains solid, but it is slowing, including in China. Here in Australia, the prolonged housing downturn could affect consumer spending and business confidence. With these issues in mind, Rest has adopted a defensive position, not only to protect members’ accounts in the event of a downturn, but to also take advantage of the opportunities that may arise.

Rolling 10 Year % (pa) 8.60 8.51 8.38 8.37 8.37 8.36 8.31 8.31 8.21 8.18

Rolling 10 Year Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Source: SuperRatings Fund Crediting Rate Survey – SR50 Balanced (60-76) Index (December 2018)

Do Good.

Like lower fees so more stays in your super.

It’s a simple thought do good, help where you can. Like keeping fees low. It’s why almost two million Australians can trust Rest with their super.

Hello progress. Hello Rest.

Product issued by Rest. Go online for a PDS to consider before deciding.

a great day out with the family SDA members, their familes, and their friends had a fabulous day at our Jamberoo Family Day on 24 February.

PAGE 28 f autumn 2019 f SDA NEWS

100 years of the International Labour Organisation

by Michael Walker, Communications Officer

In 1919, in the ashes of World War I, the world’s leading powers got together and established the League of Nations to try to prevent another global war from breaking out.

It wasn’t enough to prevent the Second World War, but they got it right the second time when they established the United Nations.

Thanks to dialogue and negotiation, the world has experienced decades of relative peace since 1945.

Just one department of the League of Nations still exists: The International Labour Organisation or ILO. The ILO was set up as a forum for unions, employers and governments to negotiate solutions to labour questions without resorting to violence or even revolution — as happened in Russia not long before its establishment.

Convention

Standard

19 47 52

Workers Compensation Higher pay for working on Saturday* Annual holidays

100 111 155

Equal pay for equal work Non-discrimination in employment Health and safety laws

Year agreed Year made law (NSW) 1925 1926 1935 1947 1936 1941 (1 week) 1944 (2 weeks) 1955 (3 weeks) 1973 (4 weeks) 1951 1973 1958 1977 1981 1983

*Shops did not open on Sundays at the time.

Conventions 100 and 111 are among the eight ‘core standards’ considered to be human rights. The other six relate to forced labour, child labour and freedom to form and join trade unions and to bargain collectively. The ILO has played, and continues to play, an important role in promoting Decent Work around the world.

Australia is not off the hook though: our

current laws restrict the right to strike so heavily that they are contrary to ILO standards.

Without a right to strike, workers’ bargaining power is weaker and this is one reason Australia has seen low wage growth in recent years.

Unions want to see this fixed as part of the #ChangeTheRules campaign.

The three-party or tripartite model was already in use in Australia and New Zealand and was working well.

Over many decades, many of the rights we enjoy at work were negotiated internationally and then, thanks to Australian unions, enacted into local law, including: SDA NEWS f autumn 2019 f PAGE 29

The Sydney Tower Eye

Madame Tussauds

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 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

WILD LIFE Sydney

Australian National Maritime Museum

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 9288 a wild-life.com.au

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

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

Sydney Aquarium, Darling Harbour

Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures

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) 8251 7800 a sydneyaquarium.com.au

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 1300 362 881. a illawarrafly.com

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Gold Coast

Featherdale Wildlife Park, Doonside

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 (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 Water World*

t 133 FUN (133 386) t 133 FUN (133 386) t 133 FUN a myfun.com.au a myfun.com.au a myfun.com.au

White Water World

Skypoint

t (07) 5588 1111 t (07) 5588 1111 t (07) 5582 2700 a dreamworld.com.au a whitewaterworld.com.au a skypoint.com.au

*Please note: you must pre-purchase your tickets through the SDA website to access the discounts on these attractions.

Trent Driving School Book with Trent and receive a $10 discount on any full-priced lesson*. Use coupon code SDATrent when booking. Go to ltrent.com.au for more information. *offer only available to students that are new to Trent Driving School. Not valid with any other offer.

Europcar Rentals 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.

PAGE 30 f autumn 2019 f SDA NEWS

Keeping you covered on your journey Every SDA member in NSW* is covered by our free

journey insurance as part of their Union membership.

To find out more, speak to your Delegate or Organiser, contact the SDA on 131 732, or go to sdansw.org.au *ACT members are covered for journey claims under the ACT’s workers’ compensation laws.

WINNING DIFFICULT CASES SINCE 1905

You’re in capable hands with one of the most experienced and respected specialist law firms in New South Wales. Taylor & Scott Lawyers on your side could give you a winning advantage.

Our expert lawyers in Greater Sydney can assist with all your legal matters.

At Taylor & Scott, we care for you 1800 600 664 | taylorandscott.com.au

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Public Place Injuries

Personal Injury

Medical Negligence

Property Law

Disputed Wills & Estates

Family Law

Migration Law

Still in Sydney & Campbelltown by appointment. From early December 2018 we will be open at Level 4, 20 Wentworth St, Parramatta, close to Parramatta Station & Westfield.

www.engagingmembers.com.au

to purchase your tickets...

t n u o Disc ie Tix Mov

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

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

all ticket options are now available online!

All SDA Movie Tickets are now available as e-tickets, which you can print at home or redeem on a smartphone. Order online at sdansw.org.au.

sDa nsw branch H 131 sDa (131 732) H www.sDansw.org.au SDA NEWS f autumn 2019 f PAGE 31

Most shopping centres offer free parking for customers for the first two or three hours. This means that 97% of customers do not pay for parking.

However, the minimum shift for employees in retail is three hours, meaning almost 100% of retail workers in the same shopping centre face parking fees. This is not fair.

An adult working a three-hour shift during the week under the Retail Award earns $62.37 per shift. Paying a parking fee of $5 to $10 per day represents an 8% to 16% cut in their take-home pay for that shift. Over the course of the year that worker is working between 5 and 8 weeks just to cover their parking fees.

How can it be fair that customers receive free parking, but the shop assistant serving them (who is often a customer in the centre as well) has to pay to be there?

19005

SDA campaigns on free safe parking for retail workers have often received support from local councils who accept that it is unfair to charge shop assistants for turning up to work.

However, the rules don’t work because whenever the democratically-elected local council has opposed the introduction of paid parking in shopping centres, the large shopping centre developers have challenged councils’ decisions in the NSW Land and Environment Court. The developers have always won.

If the rules don’t work, we need to change the rules.

Scandal! Shopping centres given free parking by NSW Government ar the e charging shop ass still istants!

The SDA research team has discovered that some shopping centres have been given free parking exemptions by the NSW Government. They are exempt from paying parking levies if they provide car parking spots for customers and for retail workers.

G FR

KIN

unfair fees

les

u change the r

AR

All members are facing the difficulty of the rising cost of living. When shopping centres impose parking fees on retail workers for coming to work to serve

BY BERNIE SMITH, BRANCH SECRETARY customers, it’s just not fair.

Retail workers who are part-time or casual often have short shifts of three to five hours.

But they still need to drive to work due to family responsibilities or the lack of safety on public transport for early starts or late finishes.

Westfield Eastgardens is the latest shopping centre to introduce paid parking for retail workers. Westfield Mount Druitt is next in line.

FE P

Free safe parking for retail workers: it’s time!

SA E E

name and shame

The following shopping centres are given free parking by the NSW Government, in that they are exempt from paying parking levies, but they still charge their staff to park in those exempt parking spots: Shopping Centre

Staff parking fee per day

% of pay lost for a 3-hour shift

$9

14%

$10

16%

$10

16%

$17

27%

$13

20%

Westfield Parramatta Chatswood Chase Westfield Chatswood Eastgate Bondi Junction Westfield Bondi Junction

ands action

fairness dem

We call on either Michael Daley or the current Premier to promise free safe parking for retail workers at the upcoming March election.

The SDA calls on the next NSW Government to change the rules so retail workers are treated fairly with parking at shopping centres.

Shockingly, those same shopping centres are giving most customers free parking but charging workers parking fees!

Where the majority of customers park for free, the people serving them — retail workers — should park for free too!

If the NSW Government is giving the shopping centre free parking exemptions how dare they charge shop assistants to park!

It’s time that shopping centre owners treated the retail workers who run their centres fairly. If 97% of customers park for free, then 97% of retail workers should park for free too!