Stop the Attacks on Retail Workers Rights!

The SDA has been in the Fair Work Commission fighting attacks on retail workers’ rights.

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) on behalf of major employers have lodged a submission at the Fair Work Commission to change the General Retail Industry Award and wind back fundamental workplace rights for retail workers.

This application has been backed by major employers including Coles, Woolworths, Kmart and 7/11.

The Retail Award sets out the minimum entitlements for the retail industry from pay and allowances to breaks and rostering.

Any negative changes to the Retail Award could have consequences when it comes to negotiating Enterprise Agreements.

What the ARA and major employers have proposed:  

• Remove the right to rest breaks in your shifts and rosters
• Cut the break between shifts from 12 hours to 10 hours
• Increase the maximum shift length to 10 hours
• Scrap penalty rates, overtime, rostering protections and leave loading for salaried employees in exchange for a 25% flat rate on top of the Award rate
• Remove part-time workers rights to consecutive days off and a Sunday off each month
• Remove the limit on maximum days that can be worked in a row
• Allow employers to break shifts up throughout a day into multiple mini shifts.
• Remove overtime on weekly maximum hours and average these over 6 months.

Over the past two weeks, the SDA has been fighting these changes at the Fair Work Commission.

The Federal Labor Government has also stepped in and stood with the SDA at the Commission against these attacks.

The Employment and Workplace Relations Minister, Murray Watt has said “Awards are supposed to be a safety net to protect all workers. They should not be varied to remove crucial entitlements for low-paid workers”.

The retailers backing these changes are claiming this is all about promoting “flexibility”.

But what it really means is the stripping of rights that we have fought for and won over many years.

Here are direct quotes from employers used as evidence seeking to reduce rights in the Retail Award:

• “In my view, team members’ desire to have a meal break, also historically known as a ‘tea break’ or as a ‘smoko break’, has diminished in today’s modern workplace” – Kmart and Target Head of Supply Chain Operations
• “Many team members do not want or need to wait 12 hours before commencing their next shift.” – Coles Head of Operations Projects
• “From a rostering perspective, a requirement for a team member to have three consecutive days off is very challenging” – Coles Head of Operations Projects 

This clearly demonstrates that retail employers are out of touch with workers.  

They believe that workers don’t want breaks during their shifts, between their shifts and that workers shouldn’t have 3 days off in a row because it’s hard for big business.

Rest breaks, decent breaks between shifts and time off all play a pivotal role in your health and safety at work including your mental health.

These rights have been fought for and won by union members and the SDA will always stand up to protect them.

A full bench of the Fair Work Commission is now considering this application. 

We will keep members informed when any decision is made.