SDA News 2015 Winter

SDANEWS OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, NEW SOUTH WALES BRANCH  WINTER 2015  RRP $8.00

WORKING FOR YOU

SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, NSW BRANCH

WWW.SDANSW.ORG.AU PHONE 131 SDA STREET ADDRESS: POSTAL ADDRESS: E-MAIL: SDA NEWS EDITOR:

Level 3, 8 Quay Street, Sydney NSW 2000 PO Box K230, Haymarket NSW 1240 secretary@sdansw.asn.au

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 METROPOLITAN: Lena Adam, Anthony Maiatico, Anthony Attard, Jakub Werstak, Alex Velickovic, Sarah Moody, Caroline Israel, Chris Stefanovski, Angela Ghanime, Mina Papadopoulos, Tina Callaghan, Joel Tynan, Adriana Moore, Karl San Pedro, Hugh McLaurin, Stephen Noone, Anthony Day, Joanne Jammal, Chris Khalil, Whitney Rizk, Alex del Rosario, Jessica Chidiac, Rayanne Li, Alison Varga, Susannah Hoffman, Nikolai Martinovic, Josip Blazevic.

REGIONAL: Lower South Coast, Southern Highlands & Canberra: Athol Williams and Julie Myers  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 (casual Organiser)  phone 6650 9950 WAREHOUSING AND MANUFACTURING: Joseph Bourke, John Paul Sialafau SPECIALISTS INDUSTRIAL OFFICERS: Phil Walker, Bernard Govind, Mitchell Worsley, Aliscia Di Mauro, Rose Ghabache WORKERS’ COMPENSATION AND OHS OFFICERS: Michael Babic, Jane Lui SENIOR OPERATIONS OFFICER: Felicity Smithson OPERATIONS OFFICER: Paul Hangan COMMUNICATIONS OFFICERS: Michael Walker, Tim Leong INFORMATION OFFICERS: Corrine Boyle, Elizabeth Cody, David Uzzell, Georgina Psillis, Renee Jaajaa, Monica Rose EDUCATION OFFICER: Philippe LeCompte

PAGE 2 l WINTER 2015 l SDA NEWS

Mid-Year Update Welcome to our mid-year mini magazine! With this edition, you will also be receiving your SDA membership card for 2015/2016.

Make sure you keep your SDA card with you, not just for all the great services and benefits you can access with it, but also to access help when you need it at work.

Your SDA card, with your membership number and SDA contact details on it, is your access to better pay and conditions, help with issues at work and a safer workplace.

Wages Up Your membership of the SDA has helped over 180,000 retail, fast food, pharmaceutical and warehouse workers across NSW and the ACT to get a pay rise between May and July this year. Thank you.

SDA members have secured pay rises through increases to Modern Awards or increased pay rates in EBAs. Either way, it is strong SDA membership that delivers these pay rises (see pages 8 and 9) and is a key reason why it pays to belong to the SDA. We are also involved in campaigns and legal cases to defend members’ take-home pay from attempts by employer groups to cut penalty rates in Awards.

Effectively, this means that employer groups are seeking to take money from members’ pay packets and to keep it for the employer.

Penalty rates are fair pay for work at unsociable times and employees’ pay should not be cut by employers.

It’s bad for the worker, it’s bad for their household, but ironically it is also bad for retailers to cut the take-home pay of their workers who are also their customers.

The Union campaign for fair pay continues.

Help with Issues at Work SDA members, Delegates and Officials continue to work together to fix members’ problems. We are stronger together.

Whether it is a member getting their job back (see article on pages 4 and 5), receiving their correct entitlements for paid parental leave (see page 7) or recent disputes before the Fair Work Commission, it is clear that it pays to belong to the SDA. Sometimes you might hear a workmate who is not in the SDA say “I get it all anyway” but the truth is they don’t get it all. Tell them about John’s story of getting his job back (page 4) or Anne’s story of getting her entitlements (page 7) or even about SDA member accident insurance (page 11) – tell them it pays to be in the SDA. Then hand them the SDA membership application card to fill in at the back of this magazine.

We are all stronger together.

Improved Services The new SDA NSW mobile-enabled website is up and running. You can now get your pay rates, your EBA, your recent Union News, even your discount movie tickets right at your finger tips on your mobile phone. The SDA is now with you at work, more than ever before.

More to be Done We are half way through the year, and we have achieved much already, including substantial progress on many EBA negotiations.

As we go into the second half of the year, I think it is true, now more than ever, to say it pays to belong to the SDA.

Bernie Smith, Branch Secretary

Helping the Man Who Did Nothing Wrong This is a true story about a member I assisted in recent months.

On his return to work, John’s wife accompanied him to the workplace, and I went along to see how he went on his first day back.

John is aged 65, and while he

by Paul Mitchell, was at work moving some heavy Organiser stock, he felt a twinge in his back.

He reported the twinge to another worker.

As he walked across the car park, I noticed a fellow

Over the days the pain in his back got worse. John sought medical attention and successfully claimed workers’ comp for three weeks off work.

John then walked in to his place of work and as we

But when he returned to work he was dismissed!

His employer said, “you did not work in a safe manner and I believe you will continue to work in an unsafe manner”.

After three months (during which time numerous discussions were held involving me, his employer, and one of the SDA’s industrial officers), his employer agreed that John should be back at work.

Because John was a Union member, he is back at work and not sitting at home wondering what he is g g to do or feelingg useless or guilty. g y going

PAGE 4 l WINTER 2015 l SDA NEWS

employee walking from his car. He went over to John and took his hand and shook it and then put his arm on John’s shoulder.

walked to the manager’s office at least three of his fellow workers smiled at John. John was back at work!

He tells me another employee gave him a hug and said, “thank you very much for standing up for all of us”.

Strength in Numbers John taking a stand has made everyone’s job a little more secure.

It’s because you are a Union member that the SDA was able to help John, and get him back to work.

You – as a Union member – should share in John’s elation about beingg back at work,, where he wants to be.

not just help in the workplace...

As John said, “Fellow workers gave me a hug and said, ‘thanks for standing up for us. Welcome back.’ ”.

As John repeated those famous words “it pays to

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SHOP, DISTRIBUTI

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EXPIRES 31/12/

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belong,” I only hope that you as members can reflect on his situation and get satisfaction because your membership was a direct

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help in his success.

Anyone who’s said, “I pay union fees and the Union does nothing for me”: just remember, it’s not about ‘me’, it’s about John.

All members of the Union

SDA members automatically receive discount vouchers with their annual membership pack, plus access to the deals outlined above.

For more information about EntertainmentTM vouchers, the Frequent ValuesTM program, discounted gift cards, and participating venues, visit the SDA website or contact the SDA Info Centre.

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SDA NEWS l WINTER 2015 l PAGE 5

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Transferring to Another Store?

Know Your EnƟtlements I recently took great pleasure in assisting a member win an entitlement “against the odds”.

It was very satisfying to secure a victory for her and it also makes

by Loretta Turner, a good story to share because Organiser other people could very easily find themselves in the same predicament.

My member, let’s call her Anne, transferred to a different store in the same company.

What she didn’t realise (and wasn’t warned about) is that because her classification changed during the move, her continuity of service was broken.

Anne had been a permanent part-time employee but was only given casual employment at the new location. She is a good worker and was eventually moved to part-time employee status.

She contacted the SDA Information Centre for advice and was assisted by me and Bernard Govind in the office.

After discussion with the company, Anne’s paid parental leave was authorised, which equated to eight weeks’ pay, so she is very happy. She had her continuity for long service leave restored as well.

PrevenƟon is beƩer than cure Anne found out the hard way that you don’t have a right to keep your permanent status; that is up to the new store.

All you can do is make sure you are clear about what terms you are being re-employed under.

You could apply for a new job rather than a transfer, but your employment history won’t be credited if your break is two months or more.

A final tip: after commencing in the new location, check that your employment history details have come across. It’s a lot harder to argue the toss in five years’ time if there are no records.

Want to know more?

PAID PAREN TAL LEAVE

INFORMATIO

ED R AT BE D P M 3 U CE 01 E D 2

She then went to apply for paid parental leave only to be told that she had not clocked up two years of service since being made a part-time employee.

I should stress that this was not a hard and fast entitlement and Anne’s good work history and work performance was a consideration. Still, it’s an example of what can be achieved when a situation is unfair.

N FOR SDA A MEMBERS

Refer to the SDA’s Paid Parental Leave guides: just go to sdansw.org.au/parental

budget changes and parental leave...

The SDA opposes the Government’s proposed changes to parental leave flagged in the recent Budget. If they pass Parliament, they will leave many members with 6-8 weeks’ less pay. They have not yet passed Parliament; SDA members will be advised if and when there are any changes to the current arrangements.

SDA NEWS l WINTER 2015 l PAGE 7

FOR OVER 180,000 NSW AND ACT RETAIL, FAST FOOD & WAREHOUSE WORKERS

In the past three months, over 180,000 NSW and ACT retail, fast food and warehouse workers received pay rises fought for them by their Union.

That’s over $25 million more going to hard-working employees this year to spend in our economy to help it grow.

At the SDA, we understand that a strong economy is underpinned by an expanding middle class, not a shrinking one. Wages must keep up as the cost of living rises, and the pressure on working families grows. That’s why the SDA works hard to make sure members get fair and decent wage increases.

SDA-NEGOTIATED PAY RISES FROM MAY TO JULY 2015 EMPLOYER

MONTH

WEEKLY INCREASE

Retail Award

July

$17.60

Kmart

May

$12.00

Coles Supermarkets

May

$12.40

Coles Liquor (Level 2)

June

$11.38

Coles Supermarkets

July

$12.00

McDonald’s NSW

July

$27.56

McDonald’s ACT

July

$27.79

BWS

July

$12.94

Best & Less

July

$18.50

Sanity

July

$16.74

Rockmans

July

$18.61

Freedom

July

$23.03

BNT

July

$18.42

Lovisa

July

$16.88

BE PART OF A UNION THAT WORKS FOR YOUR WAGES TO GO UP. BECOME AN SDA MEMBER TODAY.

sdansw.org.au PAGE 8 l WINTER 2015 l SDA NEWS

It Pays to Belong to the SDA Pay rises One of the main reasons retail, fast food and warehouse workers join the SDA is to improve their pay. I’m proud to say the SDA

by Bernie Smith continues to deliver better pay.

Branch Secretary The SDA supported the ACTU living wage claim where we secured increases to Award rates of pay of 2.5% effective from 1 July. This delivers a pay rise to over 100,000 retail, fast food and warehouse employees working across NSW and the ACT. While this was good, when we are organised and bargain for pay rises the results are even better.

Coles members have just secured pay rises of 3% per year for the next three years, with 92% of voting Coles employees approving the new pay deal. We are close to finalising a new EBA proposal for Woolworths Supermarket members to consider and vote on in the near future.

EBA pay rises are currently more than double the rate of inflation.

As you read this, SDA pay negotiations are under way in several companies across the retail, fast food, pharmaceutical and warehousing industries. The more members we have in your workplace, the stronger our bargaining position.

From May to July, over 180,000 employees in retail, fast food, pharmaceutical and warehousing will get a pay rise from the collective efforts and strength of SDA membership. It pays to be in the SDA!

Penalty rates The SDA is currently working with other unions in a campaign to defend our members’ pay packets from some unscrupulous employer attacks. Various employer groups have applied to the Fair Work Commission to cut penalty rates in our Awards without any compensation to a higher base rate of pay. That is, employers taking

money out of members’ pockets and keeping it for themselves. This is not fair or acceptable.

Penalty rates are fair pay for work at unsociable times like Sundays and public holidays. The SDA is fighting hard in the campaign to protect Award rates of pay.

The campaign has many components; one aspect is a recently released McKell report on the damage that cutting penalty rates would have on regional communities across Australia, costing regional workers and their communities up to $1.5 billion in lost wages.

This report builds on the work done on this issue by SDA members across NSW regional communities last year.

This approach by employers to cut pay is in stark contrast to a recent EBA designed by the SDA for small business in South Australia that shows that you can bargain for conditions that are different to the Award, as long as you don’t cut workers take-home pay. The EBA results in higher take-home pay for all employees and guaranteed time off on every second weekend.

Higher base rates of pay and better conditions that leave workers better off overall through bargaining stands in stark contrast to current employer attempts to cut penalty rates without compensation in the Award system. The SDA will campaign hard to protect members’ pay.

Public holidays The SDA calls on the ACT Government to declare Easter Sunday a public holiday for weekend workers in Canberra.

For too long, weekend workers in the ACT have had to work on Easter Sunday without a proper right to refuse to work, and without proper pay rates for missing out on this special day with family, friends and community.

Easter Sunday has been a public holiday in NSW since 2010 and is now a public holiday in Victoria too. It’s time for the ACT Government to fix this inequity for Canberra’s weekend workers, including hundreds of shop assistants and fast food workers.

Make Easter Sunday a public holiday in the ACT! SDA NEWS l WINTER 2015 l PAGE 9

Time to Take 100% Pay to the Next Level The 100% Pay at 18+ campaign is growing day by day.

Over 55,000 people across the country support the campaign for full adult rates of pay for workers aged 18 years and older.

The annual National 100% Pay Week will be held from 3-9 August. The annual event is a time for all supporters to show their support.

You can get involved in National 100% Pay Week by taking part in the online competition (there are big prizes up for grabs – check out the website for details!) or by getting involved in your local Branch activities.

PAGE 10 l WINTER 2015 l SDA NEWS

SDA National Secretary Gerard Dwyer says National 100% Pay Week has become an important event in the SDA calendar.

“National 100% Pay Week is our chance to show Australia just how important it is that we pay our younger workers the wage they deserve,” Mr Dwyer says.

“Not everyone realises that 18 and 19 year olds are paid up to 30% less than their co-workers simply because of their age, and that up until very recently, 20 year old workers were paid 10% less than the adult rate too.

“That’s why National 100% Pay Week is so important.

It’s our chance to make sure as many people as possible hear about the fact that younger workers are being ripped off at work, and to push for something to be done about it.

“We won 100% pay for 20 year olds just over a year ago.

The next step is to get our 18 and 19 year old workers paid the adult rate too.

“We still need more support if we’re to achieve our next goal of full adult rates for 18 and 19 year olds.”

For information on how to get involved in National 100% Pay Week activities in August, go to www.100percentpay.

get involved...

How can you get involved in the campaign? aSign up to the campaign at 100percentpay.com.au f‘Like’ the Facebook page at facebook. com/100percentpay Stay 5 tuned to the website, Facebook page and your emails for information on actions you can take part in throughout the year.

6Get involved in National 100% Pay Week from 3-9 August. Check out the website for more details.

Improved SDA Accident Insu rance Visit sdansw.org.a u to learn more

about how the SDA ha s you covered outside work too!

SDA A NEWS NEEWSS l WI WINTER WINT NTER NT TERR 22015 0155 l PPAGE 01 A E 11 AG

Help’s Just a Phone Call Away...

It’s important to us, as your Union, to have support available for you at the touch of a button.

That’s why we have an Info Centre which you can call with any question or concern you might have.

Members regularly contact us to find out details relating to their wages and working conditions.

Just some of the questions we’ve handled recently include:  I think I’m being underpaid. What should I do?  My Manager has just changed my roster. He says I’ve got to accept it, but if I do, I won’t be able to pick my kids up from school.  Are casuals entitled to long service leave?  I’m pregnant and having difficulties at work, mainly with lifting and carrying. Is there anything I can do about it, apart from taking leave?  I took a sick day last week, but when I got my payslip this week, it showed that I’d taken a day of annual leave instead. Can my Manager do this? Can I get it reversed so I get my annual leave back?  I’ve noticed that the emergency exit at work is blocked, which makes me feel unsafe. What can I do to get management to unblock it?

...or a Click Away!

Don’t forget, you can also go to our website if you’d like:  information about our various services and benefits,  a copy of your Enterprise Agreement,  to order movie tickets, family day tickets, etc, or  to enter competitions, Just log onto

www.sdansw.org.au

PAGE 12 l WINTER 2015 l SDA NEWS



I never seem to be able to take my breaks - my Manager often asks me to wait until other staff have come back from their break, but it never seems to be my turn. What can I do?

Whether it is a question about your hourly rate of pay, or advice on dealing with your manager, our Information Officers are able to assist you.

We’re Here for You Our Info Centre is available for you, as an SDA member to call if you need any help at all, or if you’d like to know more about any of the services and benefits we offer.

Just call 131 SDA (that’s 131 732) between 8.00am and 5.30pm from Monday to Friday, or between 8.30am and 5.00pm on Saturdays (except on public holidays) to speak to one of our helpful and experienced Information Officers!

@ When calling, please provide your SDA membership number – check your SDA membership card for your number.

Monica Rose – one of our helpful, experienced Information Officers.

SDA NEWS l WINTER 2015 l PAGE 13

What is the SDA and what do we do?

The SDA is a not-for-profit organisation made up of employees from the retail, warehousing and fast food industries, which looks after the interests of members.

by Bernie Smith, The SDA fights for its Branch Secretary members in many ways, like trading hours, superannuation, and fair workers’ compensation laws. But here are the three main things we do every day:

SDA – 3 main roles 1. Negotiates pay rises The SDA negotiates better rates of pay and working conditions. The more members are in the SDA, the stronger the bargaining position and the better the pay rises from the negotiations.

2. Help at work Any problems at work, the SDA is there to help.

The SDA helps with roster disputes, underpayments, bullying/harassment. We have workplace Delegates and Union Reps on staff to resolve any problems that arise in the workplace.

SDA members also have exclusive access to the SDA confidential advice line (131 732).

3. Safer Workplaces The SDA is here to help members with any Health & Safety concerns. We work for safer workplaces. If you are injured at work, the SDA helps our members with WorkCover claims – it is a complex area of the law.

The SDA has specialists on staff to help our members with all Health & Safety processes.

Other benefits Journey Claim (to and from work) insurance Accident Cover  Education Scholarships  Discount Movie Tickets  Frequent Values™ Voucher Book  Discount groceries  Members-only website, containing information about services, wages, conditions and much more.

SDA resources and expertise are exclusively for the benefit of members.

If something goes wrong at work and you’re not an SDA member... we can’t help you.  

It’s easy to join! Just fill in this form and return it to the SDA.

union fees

Arising from a decision of the SDA’s National Executive, there has been an adjustment to Union fees.

The new membership fees from 1 July 2015 are as follows:  No hours worked in the week  Employed less than 10 hours per week  Employed 10 hours to less than 20 hours per week  Employed 20 hours or more per week

$0.00 per week $3.95 per week $6.80 per week $9.50 per week

The SDA’s fees – even after this adjustment – are very modest, and will enable us to continue our work of negotiating better wages and conditions for members, making sure members get their entitlements, campaigning for fairer working conditions (such as 100% pay at 18+) and providing the widest possible range of services and benefits for members.

PAGE 14 l WINTER 2015 l SDA NEWS

Membership Application Form for the Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ Association, NSW Branch Please enrol me as a member of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association. I pledge myself to comply with the Rules of the Association and the Branch to which I am attached and any amendments or additions duly made to such Rules in accordance with the Rules and the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009.

Title (tick one)

Mr

Mrs

Miss

Surname

FIRST/GIVEN NAME(S)

Address

PRIVATE HOME OR POSTAL ADDRESS

Suburb

E-mail*

OFFICE USE ONLY

SURNAME

First Name/s

Phone

Ms

Postcode

PRIVATE HOME/POSTAL SUBURB HOME PHONE NO.

MOBILE PHONE NO.

Mobile

PERSONAL E-MAIL ADDRESS

Employer/

Location/

COMPANY

Company Employment Type (tick one)

Full-Time

Date of Birth

LOCATION/SUBURB

Suburb Part-Time

DD/MM/YYYY

Casual

I hereby authorise the employer to deduct from my wages in accordance with the Association’s Schedule of fees and to pay the monies so deducted to the account identified to you by the National President of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association as the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association New South Wales Deduction Account.

Signature

SIGN HERE

SIGN HERE

Date

DD/MM/YYYY

Privacy Act 1988: The SDA is bound by the Privacy Act. This information is collected to enable the Union to contact you about matters relating to your Union membership and to ensure that we have the necessary information to represent your employment and related interests. A copy of the Union’s Privacy Statement is available from Union officials, the Union office and our website. *Your e-mail address will only be used for Union messages and will not be disclosed to any third parties.

Authority to Deduct Fees (to be retained by employer) Company

COMPANY

Full Name

LOCATION/SUBURB NAME

hereby authorise the employer to deduct from my wages in accordance with the Association’s Schedule of fees and to pay the monies so deducted to the account identified to you by the National President of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association as the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association New South Wales Deduction Account.

I authorise my employer to supply the SDA with updated information on the membership details set out in my SDA Membership Application form.

This authority shall remain in force for as long as I remain an eligible employee of the employer.

Signature

SIGN HERE

SIGN HERE

MEMBERSHIP FEES AS AT 1/7/2015 No hours worked in the week $0.00 per week Employed less than 10 hours per week $3.95 per week Employed 10 hours to less than 20 hours per week $6.80 per week Employed 20 hours or more per week $9.50 per week

Your Unions Fees are 100% Tax Deductible

Date

DD/MM/YYYY

NEW SOUTH WALES BRANCH

NEW WEBS

NOW AVAILABLE WHEREVER YOU ARE GREAT NEW FEATURES! DOWNLOAD YOUR WAGE SHEET

BUY DISCOUNTED TICKETS

NEWS ON YOUR INDUSTRY CHECK PUBLIC HOLIDAY ENTITLEMENTS

Visit the new SDA website on your mobile now!

sdansw.org.au 15054