IMPORTANT!  Team Coordinator Redundancies

Based on the legal advice the SDA has received, we are ready and able to proceed with disputes regarding Woolworths attempts to make the existing Team Coordinators on the TC and Ambient floor redundant, and replace them with Salaried Team Leader Roles.  Put simply, we will be arguing that because the new Team Leader role is very similar and contains the Team Coordinator functions, and because there will be at least as many new Team Leaders as there are currently affected Team Coordinators, then the role is not truly redundant and still exists.  On that basis, we will argue that the existing Team Coordinator role must remain with the existing Team Coordinators.

SO WHAT DO I DO IF I WANT TO KEEP MY TEAM COORDINATOR ROLE?

1. Dispute the advice you have received from the Company regarding your role being made redundant as soon as possible.  Under clause 8.1 of the EBA, you should see your line manager and advise them that you are disputing the loss of your current Team Coordinator role because it’s not really being made redundant.  You should also advise your line manager that you are following the Dispute Resolution Procedure, and under clause 8.1.11 of the EBA, you must be left in your current Team Coordinator role until this matter is resolved or arbitrated.  You can, and for this dispute should, take an SDA Delegate with you for this meeting and you should document it as well as the Company’s response.
2. If you are not advised that you can keep your Team Coordinator role within 7 days (or you are told that your Team Coordinator position is being made redundant anyway) you should then raise this dispute with the Senior Operations Manager and Culture and People Partner.  You will need to do this within 7 days of the Company giving you their response (or within 14 days of speaking to your line manager if you received no response).  You will need to advise them that you are disputing the loss of your current Team Coordinator role because it’s not really being made redundant.  You should also advise them that you are following the Dispute Resolution Procedure and under clause 8.1.11 of the EBA, you must be left in your current Team Coordinator role until this matter is resolved or arbitrated.  You can and should take an SDA Delegate with you for this meeting, and you should document it as well as the Company’s response.
3. If you are not advised that you can keep your Team Coordinator role within 7 days (or you are told that your Team Coordinator position is being made redundant anyway) you should then raise this dispute with the BRDC Supply Chain Manager and Senior Culture and People Partner.  You will need to do this within 7 days of the Company giving you their response (or within 14 days of speaking to the Senior Operations Manager and Culture and People Partner if you received no response). You will need to advise them that you are disputing the loss of your current Team Coordinator role because it’s not really being made redundant.  You should also advise them that you are following the Dispute Resolution Procedure and under clause 8.1.11 of the EBA, you must be left in your current Team Coordinator role until this matter is resolved or arbitrated.  You can and should take one of your SDA Organisers with you for this meeting and you should document it as well as the Company’s response.
4. If you are not advised that you can keep your Team Coordinator role within 7 days (or you are told that your Team Coordinator position is being made redundant anyway), you should then advise your Organiser of this immediately and your union. The SDA will then assist you through the rest of the process directly.

N.B. It is very important that you follow this advice if you would like to retain your Team Coordinator role.  This is not a dispute where we can run just the one test case for one member and then everyone benefits. There will need to be multiple cases and the best way to try and secure your TC role will be to take up an individual dispute.

WHAT IF I WANT TO TAKE A REDUNDANCY?

The above advice is for those Team Coordinators who would like to retain the role.  If the Company is offering you a full redundancy under the terms of the EBA, you are free to accept this.

WHAT IF I WANT TO APPLY FOR A TEAM LEADER ROLE?

Again, you are free to apply for one of the Team Leader roles BUT you should follow the above process at the same time in case you are not successful in your application for a Team Leader Role and also in case the Company withdraws the extra Team Leader roles because they are made to retain all Team Coordinators.

WHAT IF I HOLD A TEAM COORDINATOR ROLE IN THE RELIEF POOL?

Successfully retaining the Team Coordinator role for the Team Coordinators should also protect the role in the Relief Pool for people currently holding this role.

I’M ALSO A GRADE 6 TEAM MEMBER BUT I’M NOT A TEAM COORDINATOR ON THE FLOOR, WHAT HAPPENS TO ME?

This dispute and the Company’s current announcements do not affect any other Grade 6 roles or Team Coordinators in other parts of the BRDC.

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

As this dispute progresses we will try to keep you as up to date as we can as quickly as we can. Please feel free to ask questions of your SDA Organiser or ring our Brisbane Office on 3833 9500.

AND as long as you follow this advice, you are entitled to continue in your current Team Coordinator role while we try and resolve this for you.