The SDA – South Australia’s largest union – has secured $5.5 million in backpay for over 500 regional supermarket workers across South Australia.
After a four-year legal battle, Eudunda Farmers Ltd and its subsidiaries have agreed to backpay millions after systemically underpaying workers across 23 supermarkets in regional SA.
Eudunda Farmers Ltd underpaid workers by:
- Paying workers at a lower classification than the legal minimum
- Not paying the correct overtime rates
- Not paying mandatory allowances
- Breaching minimum shift length requirements
- Underpaying salaried staff for their hours worked.
Of the $5.5 million being returned to workers, the average amount being received is almost $11,000.
One worker is being backpaid over $145,000 and a further 16 workers are being backpaid more than $50,000.
This is one of the largest retail underpayment cases in South Australian history.
Who is Eudunda Farmers Ltd?
Eudunda Farmers Ltd is an Adelaide-based company which operates 20 supermarkets in regional South Australia.
It employs over 700 South Australians, stretching from Clare and Port Augusta to Barmera and Bordertown.
Our allegations against Eudunda Farmers
In 2020, the SDA uncovered systemic underpayments and breaches of the General Retail Industry Award at several Eudunda Farmers Supermarkets relating to classifications, salaried work, overtime and allowances.
In 2021, the SDA lodged a Federal Court Claim on behalf of 64 workers, seeking $1 million in backpay for workers.
As more workers came forward, the scale of these underpayments and the number of workers impacted exponentially increased.
Our case has grown to include over 500 workers, with the total owed to workers over 5 times the original claim.
What started out as a handful of workers raising issues with their pay has turned into one of the biggest retail underpayment cases in South Australia’s history.
This case is proof of how powerful and effective we can be when we stand up together.
If workers hadn’t contacted the SDA and we had not stepped in and fixed this, these systemic underpayments would likely still be happening.
Because of union members, Eudunda Farmers Foodland workers are being paid correctly and they’re being backpaid too.
No employer is above the law. All workers must be paid at the correct rate for all time worked.
If you believe you’re being underpaid, the SDA is always here to help.