Mr Nick Uhlott from Bollier (via Gympie).  Nick who is 20 year’s old, works at the local Gympie McDonalds store.

Congratulations Nick – your will be the envy of all of your friends.

The earlier proposal put to employees in July was not endorsed by the union and was voted down by a majority of employees.

You can see this edition of the SDA News using new FLIP-PAGE viewing software.  Click here to open the Newsletter.

Crikey!  To coincide with their 40th birthday – when you visit Australia Zoo in August you will receive unlimited entry until the end of 2010. What a ripper!

An Australia Zoo Adventure Pass is your ticket to jaw-dropping animal action, ripper monthly events and non-stop entertainment and fun.

So what are you waiting for? Come along and party with us everyday!

Simply ask for your Adventure Pass when you visit Australia Zoo this August or buy online now.

Negotiations between the parties are at a very early stage and members will be futher advised during the course of the negotiations.

The Coalition, led by Tony Abbott, has failed to release an industrial relations policy halfway into the election campaign and not surprisingly, is a re-run of the deception of the Howard Government over WorkChoices.

For the three years Tony Abbott was the Workplace Relations Minister in the Howard Government, he systematically cut unfair dismissal protection, forced workers on to individual work contracts and opposed increases to minimum wages. More than that, Tony Abbott laid the foundations and was a principle architect of WorkChoices.

As we enter the fourth week of the campaign, we still have not heard anything of substance from Tony Abbott other than a series of glib slogans and contradictory statements. 

SDA members deserve more!

It is an appalling abuse of the Australian public’s right to know who and what they are voting for that Mr Abbott still hasn’t released a detailed industrial relations policy.

SDA members remember that WorkChoices was brought in without public scrutiny or approval by a Liberal Government of which Mr Abbott was a senior member.

SDA members must know the truth about his plans on such issues as unfair dismissal, wages policy, minimum employment standards, occupational health and safety and individual work contracts.

Tell us today Tony and please, please tell us the truth!

Members employed by the following companies will receive a pay rise during August:

• Big W Retail
• Coles/Bi Lo/Pick’n’Pay Supermarkets
• Just Jeans Group
• Target
• Target Country
• Woolworths Supermarkets
• Coles DC
• Kmart DC
• The Reject Shop

These pay rises will apply from the first full pay period on or after the nominated date in the Enterprise Agreement. Members would have received detailed information on their pay rise either through the mail or in bulletins which were distributed on site.

Since he was elected as Liberal Leader, Tony Abbott has three times promised to bring back the key elements of WorkChoices – when he was first elected in December 2009, in February 2010 and in his budget reply on May13, 2010.

In recent days, Tony Abbott has failed to guarantee that “every single aspect of workplace relations” would continue unchanged if he was elected. Also he has given himself room to change key aspects of the Industrial Relations system.

In an interview on Monday, July 19, Mr. Abbott pledged that Work Choices was “dead, buried and cremated” and that the Fair Work Act would continue unamended under the first term of a Coalition government.

But he later acknowledged that “I can’t give an absolute guarantee about every single aspect of workplace relations legislation.”

The comments followed the Coalition’s release on Saturday, July 17 of a statement on Industrial Relations committing to retaining the Fair Work Act, although in the same speech, Tony Abbott said if elected he would seek to make “individual flexibility agreements more flexible and [to] reduce the burdens on small business”.

SDA members must ask themselves whether Tony Abbott was telling the truth or the ‘gospel truth’ or were his comments ‘made on the run’.

Yes, it is confusing!

Shadow Workplace Relations Minister Senator Eric Abetz also told ABC radio on Saturday, July 17 that a Coalition government, while retaining the Fair Work Act, might “tweak” workplace regulations.

We all remember that Mr Abetz is on public record as being a very strong supporter of WorkChoices. Just recently, he also criticized Fair Work Australia’s decision to retain three hour minimum shifts for retail casual members. 

Under WorkChoices, workers had their take-home pay slashed and lost their working conditions and their job security.

The Howard Liberal Government was rejected by the Australian voters and John Howard lost his seat in parliament.

The Labor Government was elected with a mandate to abolish WorkChoices. It legislated to abolish WorkChoices and replaced it with the Fair Work Act on July 1, 2009.
Once again, Industrial Relations will be an election issue in the forthcoming election on August 21. IR should be a key issue because all workers have a right to a fair and just wage, decent working conditions and dignity in retirement.

Workers need stability in their working lives and should work under an Industrial Relations System which promotes fairness and decency.

On election day, the future is very much in your hands when you cast your vote.

**$99 Unlimited World Pass – providing unlimited entry into BOTH Dreamworld & WhiteWater World for a year **

- available to all age groups – adults/ child/pensioner
- available for sale: now through to 31 August 2010
- available for travel: now through to 30 June 2011

Get in quick to take advantage of this great value and unique theme park experience!

Go here to purchase your tickets on line.