The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA) is the union that represents tens of thousands of workers across the retail and fast-food industries in New South Wales. These sectors are among the largest youth employers in the State. Thousands of young workers are members of the SDA, many under the age of 18, who are particularly vulnerable in the workplace.
Over 500,000 children work in Australia, but they are not adequately protected. Most Australians would be surprised to learn that there are few requirements for adults working alongside children to obtain working with children checks (WWCCs). The poor coverage of WWCCs has led to incidences where adults charged with, or even convicted of, child sex offences are working alongside children in retail, fast-food and hospitality settings.
The SDA welcomes the opportunity to respond to the NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian’s discussion paper on reforms to better protect children who are workers from sexual predators.
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