WE NEED TO CHANGE THE RULES!

April 30, 2019 Change the Rules News

What has happened to the great Australian concept of a fair go for all? 

In Australia today, the rules for working people including SDA members are not fair. The rules favour big business and the very wealthy. This is not right; we should all get a ‘fair go all round’. 

We need to change the rules to make them fair for working people. We need to:

  • Protect penalty rates;
  • Win fair pay rises;
  • Stop wage threat;
  • Make jobs more secure; and
  • Make taxes fairer.

That is why the SDA and the wider trade union movement want to change the rules to make them fairer. The federal government makes the rules through its industrial relations laws, so if we want to change the rules, we need to change the federal government.

Your vote matters

The SDA knows and respects that our members will vote for a range of candidates and parties based on what is important to them. The federal election is very important for SDA members on a range of issues.
The positions of the major parties on these issues are set out on Pages 4 and 5 for your information. If these issues matter to you, have a look at them before you cast your vote.

Improving your experience at work

2019 is a year where we want to change the rules around how retail, warehouse and fast food workers are treated at work. SDA members always deserve something better.
We know the problems members face every day at work:

  • Knowing what their take-home pay is;
  • Understanding their roster;
  • Having enough hours of work;
  • Improving how members are treated at work, including by customers.
  • The SDA is always focused on solutions for members’ workplaces.

Bargaining for a better deal

Members need and deserve a fair wage and decent working conditions. Bargaining is currently underway with many retail, fast food and warehouse employers.

New Agreements have been strongly supported by members at Woolworths, Kmart, David Jones, The Reject Shop, Big W and new Agreements are being considered by members at Bunnings, The Just Group and Hungry Jacks.

Our key priorities in bargaining are:

  • Protecting members’ take-home pay;
  • Improving penalty rates;
  • Keeping hard-won SDA conditions;
  • Securing pay rise for all members.

At the time of writing, Noni B has been heavily featured in the media for all the wrong reasons. Well done to those members who stood up to the company! Also, the SDA challenged the Noni B Enterprise Agreement before the Fair Work Commission and the Commission refused to approve the Agreement.

Secure Work Matters

As well as pay rises, the SDA is focused on members having secure work. Also, rosters and the amount of hours worked are important features of secure work.

The SDA is focused on conditions that enable current members to be offered additional hours of work on top of secure base rosters.

Whether it is additional hours for part-time members or the right for regular casuals to convert to part-time employment, the SDA will bargain for more secure work. Stable rosters that do not frequently change from cycle to cycle are also a priority.

No One Deserves A Serve

A further thing we want to change is the myth that the customer is always right. In fact, customers are often wrong.

It is never okay for customers to abuse or physically confront retail and fast food workers. Throughout 2019, we will be having practical trials of ways to reduce customer abuse and violence in workplaces.

A Workplace Union

The SDA will continue to look after members in their workplaces. We will continue to challenge unfair rosters, make sure their pay is correct and demand that they are treated with respect. Thousands of issues are resolved every day for members by SDA Shop Stewards, Delegates and Officials.

The SDA will not stand still.

There is much work to be done in 2019 to Change the Rules so members can get a fair go.

Together, in 2019, let’s change the rules!