Bargaining for better pay & conditions at Aesop

The SDA is seeking to give Aesop workers a say when it comes to their pay and conditions by commencing negotiations for an Enterprise Agreement at Aesop.

This Agreement would cover retail workers at Aesop and set out your pay and conditions for a set period of time.

What is the point of an Enterprise Agreement?

Negotiating an Agreement provides workers with a say on their entitlements at work including wages, rostering rights, leave entitlements and more. Aesop workers are currently covered by the General Retail Industry Award, the terms of which are determined by the Fair Work Commission.

An Agreement is the result of enterprise bargaining where an employer and workers (who are generally represented by their union) directly negotiate entitlements in the workplace.
Agreements must leave workers better off than they are under the Award e.g. an Agreement may include higher rates of pay or rights regarding roster changes. By negotiating Enterprise Agreements, the SDA has negotiated above-Award pay and conditions at other retailers across the country.

How does bargaining work?

Enterprise bargaining is a democratic process. Before formal negotiations begin, the SDA will survey workers to find out what you want to see improved or changed. Your feedback will be compiled and used to form our Log of Claims – which will set out our priorities for the negotiation meetings.

The SDA will then meet with Aesop to discuss our claims and negotiate and draft the terms of the Agreement. Once an Agreement is drafted and finalised, it will be presented to workers in full and you will have the chance to vote on whether or not you support it.

If there is a majority yes vote amongst the workers who choose to vote, the Agreement will then be reviewed by the Fair Work Commission before it takes effect.
Enterprise Agreements have an expiry date, which is usually 2-3 years from the commencement date. As the expiry date approaches, the SDA will seek to negotiate a new Agreement.

What if Aesop doesn’t want to bargain?

If a majority of workers support bargaining for an Agreement and Aesop indicate they do not wish to commence bargaining, the SDA will make an application to the Fair Work Commission which would compel them to bargain. Aesop can be compelled to bargain if a majority of workers sign the SDA’s petition supporting bargaining.

If you work at Aesop, sign up now to show your support.

By filling out the form, you agree:

1. I want to bargain for an enterprise agreement with our employer; and
2. The enterprise agreement we seek is one that covers:
   (a) Our employer Aesop Retail Pty Ltd; and
   (b) Employees of our employer working in stores trading as “Aesop”.
3. I permit the SDA to rely on this petition in the Fair Work Commission to show that a majority of employees wish to bargain as above.
4. I permit the SDA to file an application for a Majority Support Determination that details the coverage of the Agreement, i.e. which stores and job roles/ classifications are covered, at the SDA’s absolute discretion.
5. I have signed this petition of our own free will without anyone pressuring us in any way to sign this petition.
6. If the employer refuses to bargain, we request that the Fair Work Commission use this petition to work out whether a majority of employees want to bargain. This petition and names listed will not and cannot be provided to the employer – but may be provided to the be provided to the employer – but may be provided to the Fair Work Commission in confidence if the union seeks an order to bargain.