The SDA – South Australia’s largest union – has won a major case in the Fair Work Commission that will give over 5000 South Australian McDonald’s workers the right to bargain together.
In a significant decision, the Fair Work Commission has granted the SDA’s Supported Bargaining Authorisation Application.
McDonald’s franchisees in South Australia must now negotiate with their workforce and the SDA for an enterprise agreement.
This decision impacts over 5000 workers across 18 employers, operating 53 McDonald’s restaurants in South Australia.
Despite being the largest fast-food employer in Australia, not one McDonald’s worker is covered by an enterprise agreement.
This case was about bringing the largest and most profitable fast-food chain in the world, back to the negotiating table and requiring them to give their workforce a say.
The Supported Bargaining laws were introduced by the Albanese Government to help low-paid workers – with clearly identifiable common interests – access bargaining.
McDonald’s was the first employer to fight back against these laws – contesting that their franchises don’t share common interests.
What this means for McDonald’s workers
Currently, McDonald’s workers pay and conditions are outlined in the Fast Food Award, which outlines the minimum standards that McDonald’s must pay.
This isn’t the case at other major fast food chains. McDonald’s is the only one that provides the minimum entitlements and doesn’t give workers a genuine say on their entitlements at work.
As a result of our case, the SDA will now begin bargaining for an Enterprise Agreement on behalf of workers. This Agreement will cover all workers at McDonald’s Franchises in South Australia.
We’ll be meeting with McDonald’s Franchises and seeking to lift workers’ pay and improve their entitlements at work through an Enterprise Agreement.
We’re going to be out in McDonald’s sites, surveying all workers to find out what matters to them and what can be improved.
This is the first step towards giving all McDonald’s workers a say on their pay and conditions.
The SDA is campaigning to ensure that all McDonald’s workers receive fair wages and conditions at work and get to have their say.
BREAKING
We have now lodged applications to expand bargaining to all McDonald’s franchises across Australia, including the Northern Territory and Broken Hill.
What is a Supported Bargaining Application?
A Supported Bargaining Agreement is a special type of Enterprise Agreement that can cover workers across the same sector, who work for different employers and receive low pay and conditions.
These laws were introduced by the Albanese Government to help low-paid workers – with clearly identifiable common interests – access bargaining.
We lodged this application for a simple reason: to give McDonald’s workers the right to bargain together.