I was privileged to meet with SDA member Carol, who has been a union member for over 60 years and has now retired from the workplace.
Carol, who left school at the ‘scholarship level’, has worked full-time in three previous jobs before working at a department store for the remainder of her working life.
The company she worked for was supportive of staff being in the union that supported the store workers. Back when she first joined the SDA she remembers that Shop Stewards collected the union contributions which then was later collected by the union Organisers – how times have changed.
Carol remembered several times she appreciated having the SDA on her side, for example, when she was injured on the way to work and an SDA Workplace Health and Safety Officer assisted with her WorkCover claim as she was off work for 16 weeks.
Another time, after a change of company ownership, Carol was supported by an SDA Industrial Officer and Organiser with a matter in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission which Carol was very grateful for the assistance.
She also remembers her SDA Organiser who would regularly visit her workplace and help answer any questions she had about her pay and other industrial questions during her breaks.
Carol said she has seen customer habits change vastly over her long career, and Department Stores, once busy and bustling are becoming fewer and fewer, as online sales take over.
Carol offers the following tips to young people entering the workforce:
- unions do exist to help the workers;
- don’t assume the employer is always doing the right thing;
- be aware of your entitlements;
- be diligent when at work; and
- keep your payslips.
Carol has touched the lives of customers, colleagues and the community. As a proud union member and true change maker, she is leaving her workplace and community a better place.
We wish you well in your retirement Carol.
By Liz Berry,
SDA Organiser