Queensland Government Retail Trading Hours Review
We are extremely disappointed with the South East Queensland trading hours decision that was handed down last Friday by the full bench of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. This decision now allows non-exempt shops to trade from 7:00am until 9:00pm Monday through to Saturday in affected trading districts.
The SDA surveyed our members extensively on this matter and it was based on these results that we vigorously opposed this application with supportive witness evidence. Unfortunately, the full bench of the QLD Industrial Relations Commission granted approval for these trading hours to occur from 1 December 2016.
It is important to note that as a part of this decision, employees have greater protection for voluntary work. The shops and shopping centres specified in the amended Order throughout South East Queensland may trade in accordance with that Order with the following conditions:
“The shops and shopping centres specified in the amended Order may trade in accordance with that Order on the condition that employees have freely elected to work the extended hours without any coercion, harassment, threat or intimidation by or on behalf of the shop owner, or occupier of the business.
The Commission or Industrial Magistrates Court may, at its discretion, require employers to produce written evidence that employees have actively indicated their willingness and availability to work these hours as a result of the extension of allowable hours.”
The Government has commenced a review of retail trading hours in the State of Queensland and an issues paper was released 17/10/2016. The SDA will be making a detailed submission as part of this review to defend and protect our members and to ensure they receive the work life balance that many other employees in other industries are afforded.
We will be strongly advocating for recommendations to be made to the government through the review to protect our members from working unsociable hours on weekends. We will also be pursuing Christmas Eve to be legislated as a part day public holiday.
We encourage all members, family and friends to make a submission to this important review to have your say. If you are pressured to work these additional hours please contact the SDA on 0738339500 or via our website here.
What the SDA is doing
- We will strongly urge the government to legislate a reverse of the decision handed down by the full bench last Friday through the Retail Trading Hours Review.
- We will continue to lobby the government to have Christmas Eve legislated as a part day public holiday and encourage you to let the government know you support this through making a submission to the Review. (This will be on the back of our successful campaign to have Easter Sunday legislated as a public holiday from 2017).
- We will continue staunchly defend the rights of our members to have a fair work life balance.
- We will continue to keep members informed.
What we encourage you to do
The Queensland government has established a website and dedicated email address where members of the public can make a submission. If this issue is important to you, we strongly suggest writing an email to tradinghoursreview@justice.qld.gov.au stating how this will impact you, your family, your personal life and your work life balance.
More info about making a submission
PLEASE NOTE: All submissions will be published on the Review website unless provided in confidence. Material provided in confidence should be clearly marked ‘IN CONFIDENCE’. For submissions received from individuals, all personal details (for example, home and email address, signatures, phone, mobile and fax numbers) will be removed before publication for privacy reasons.