The Fair Work Commission has today determined that the recently negotiated Coles
enterprise agreement should remain in place, confirming that the vast majority of Coles
workers are better off.

The Commission did however call on Coles to make some changes to ensure that the situation
for a small number of workers, who have been found to have been inadvertently left worse
off, is rectified.

The company has been given until June 10th to commit to undertakings to ensure that the
small group of workers is not left worse off. If the company fails to commit to the changes,
the agreement will be terminated – a move which would see all Coles workers worse off.

SDA, the union for retail, fast-food and warehouse workers, National Secretary Gerard
Dwyer said that the union will now be reviewing the decision in the hope that the changes
required by the Fair Work Commission are made as quickly and as seamlessly as possible.

“The decision today recognises that while some changes need to be made, the agreement as a
whole is solid,” said Gerard Dwyer, SDA’s National Secretary.

“This was always a technical debate about a small cohort of workers who may have
inadvertently missed out on the significant improvements that the vast majority of Coles
workers would have secured under this agreement.

“The SDA is proud of our work representing nearly a quarter of a million Australian retail
workers which has resulted in them becoming among the best paid retail workers in the
world.”

Media contact: Alana Mew, 0419 929 722