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The SDA has been active in Queensland since 1889 when a group of 16 draper’s assistants met in Brisbane to discuss the formation of an “Early Closing Association”.
Since then, we have grown to become Australia’s largest Union covering every aspect of the retail industry.
Prior to this, unionism was first introduced to Australia by early British immigrant workers with the first union formed in the 1840s.
Early union groups were based on a particular trade or craft (e.g. carpentry, engineering, stonemasonry etc). They saw the main purpose of establishing unions to be protecting the employment conditions and general standing of workers in the particular crafts.
Unions also acted as friendly societies to enable employees to help each other in times of hardship such as when unemployment or sickness struck (in those days there was no dole and no sickness pay). Early unionists campaigned strongly to have working hours reduced.
From these early beginnings came the demand (though not granted universally until very recently) for an 8 hour day and a 40 hour week for all workers.
In the 1880s and 1890s the first unionisation of general non-craft workers took place. During this period the first general workers unions were formed.
These unions grouped workers in the unskilled or semi-skilled areas such as miners and shearers. Whereas the early craft unions had been formed on colonial or state structures, the general unions quickly developed inter-colonial or national structures, creating the first national unions.
During the 1890s and the early 1900s unionism grew rapidly. It was during this period that the predecessors of the SDA first came into existence.
In 1908, unions representing retail workers in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia joined together to become the Shop Assistants and Warehouse Employees Federation – today called the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA).
Over time, unions in Tasmania, Newcastle and Western Australia became part of the national union.
