Issuu

MID YEAR REPORT

By Justin Power, SDA State Secretary

The Fair Work Commission has announced their Annual Wage Review decision, resulting in a 3.75% wage increase for workers under awards and agreements linked to this decision, effective July 1. This much-needed pay increase for SDA members was achieved through a strong campaign by the SDA and the union movement.

This increase is a real wage boost, surpassing the current inflation rate. A heartfelt thank you to all SDA members who campaigned for better wages in 2024 – your support has helped to raise the wages for hundreds of thousands of workers.

Workers covered by an award or an SDA-negotiated Agreement linked to this decision will receive this pay rise, guaranteeing a minimum 3.75% increase to your pay starting July 1. The SDA will provide specific rates of pay to its members when they take effect.

Superannuation to Increase

From July 1, 2024, the Superannuation Guarantee will increase from 11% to 11.5%. The SDA proudly campaigned for this increase, which is a welcome boost to the retirement savings of millions of workers. Next year, the superannuation rate will rise again, reaching 12%.

Tax Cuts on July 1

Every Australian taxpayer will receive a tax cut on July 1, adding to the benefits workers will receive. This means that workers will enjoy a triple benefit: a pay rise, increased superannuation, and a tax cut.

Thank you once again to all the SDA members for your continued support and dedication. Together, we are making significant strides toward better wages and conditions for all workers.

Bargaining

It has also been a busy year of bargaining for the SDA. The Big W Agreement took effect on May 20, and the Coles Agreement was approved by the Fair Work Commission on May 8, set to come into effect on October 7.

The new Woolworths Agreement received a 62% ‘Yes’ vote and at the time of writing this article is soon to be lodged with the Fair Work Commission.

These agreements all provide above-award wages for team members, along with more paid time off, fairer rostering, and the opportunity for additional hours. We are currently in negotiations for a new Officeworks Agreement and expect to have a new proposed agreement for members to vote on soon.

In this particularly busy year of bargaining, it has been all hands on deck at the SDA. Organisers, Officials, and even the Assistant Secretary, Tony Stapleton and I have been out in stores holding information sessions and discussing the new Agreement with members.

It’s crucial to attend these sessions or catch up with your SDA Shop Steward or Organiser to ensure you understand the details of your Agreement. If you have any questions about your new or proposed Agreement, I encourage you to get in touch with the SDA by phone or email. Our trained Information and Industrial Officers are available to help with any inquiries you might have.

The SDA recently lodged a groundbreaking case in the Fair Work Commission to abolish junior rates of pay for workers aged 18 years and older.

Our case is also seeking to lift the rates of pay for most workers under the age of 18.

For too long, young workers have been discriminated against because of their age.

So we’re doing something about it.

Our case will seek to amend the retail, fast food, and pharmacy awards to remove the reduced rates of pay for workers between 18-20 years of age so that all adults receive the adult wage.

We’re seeking to remove the 70% rate for 18 year olds, 80% for 19 year olds and in fast food and pharmacy, the 90% rate for 20 year olds.

We’re also seeking to lift the under 16 year olds rate to 50% and the 17 year old to 75%.

I’m covered by an Enterprise Agreement, will this affect me?

If you’re on an Enterprise Agreement that has junior rates and our case is successful, the minimum legal rates will be lifted as well.

Our message is clear: If you’re of Adult Age, you should earn an Adult Wage no matter what.

PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE GENERAL RETAIL INDUSTRY AWARD, FAST

But we can’t do this alone.

We need to send a really strong message to the Fair Work Commission and employers that SDA members support removing junior rates of pay.

Show your support for our campaign by scanning the QR code below.

We know this won’t be easy and it will take some time to achieve. Employer lobby groups will throw everything at us.

But we won’t give up.

We need to stand up and abolish junior rates of pay for workers 18 and over and win an adult wage at an adult age.

Tony Stapleton Assistant Secretary

WORKING BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR SHIFT

Working a few extra minutes before or after your shift may not seem like much, but it quickly adds up over time.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM BEING ASKED TO STAY BACK OR COME IN EARLY?

If you are being asked to stay back or come into work early. then you must be paid for all time worked - no exceptions.

It is unlawful for you to perform this additional work without being paid.

It should never be an expectation that you must come in early or stay back without payment to complete work duties.

WHAT SHOULD I BE PAID?

You should be paid either your ordinary rate of pay (including applicable penalties) or overtime (dependant on your circumstances).

However, your employer can make a lawful request for you to work overtime - so long as it is reasonable, and you are being paid, Whether a request is reasonable is dependent on your personal circumstances, amount of notice provided, and you roles and responsibilities.

SOME OTHER WAYS THAT WAGE THEFT CAN OCCUR:

• Working through your rest or meal breaks;

• Completing compulsory training modules at home;

• Not being paid the overtime rate for instances of overtime;

• Being told to clock off but then return to work.

THE SDA IS HERE TO HELP

You have the right to raise and pursue any underpayment claim.

The SDA is here to assist you with pursuing these claims. We are also working to stamp out unpaid work in the retail, fast food and distribution industries.

If you think you are being underpaid, you should contact the SDA as soon as possible for assistance on 07 3833 9500.

It is UNLAWFUL for your employer to require you to perform unpaid work.

On May 6th, hundreds of SDA members joined thousands of other union members in Brisbane for the Annual Labour Day march. The streets were filled with energy as workers from various industries came together to celebrate the achievements of the union movement.

The march was a testament to the strength of the union community. Banners waved high, and chants echoed through the streets as participants proudly represented their unions and the causes they stand for.

It was a day to honour the hard work and dedication of those who have fought for better wages, safer working conditions, and more equitable treatment in the workplace.

Beyond the march, the day provided a fantastic opportunity to catch up with SDA members.

We want to extend a big THANK YOU to everyone who came to march with us. Your presence and enthusiasm made the day even more special.

We look forward to seeing you again next year, as we continue to stand together and strive for a fairer future for all Australian workers.

Justin Power SDA State Secretary

WHAT THE FEDERAL BUDGET MEANS FOR YOU

In May, the Federal Government handed down its budget for 2024-2025.

This year’s budget contains significant outcomes for workers in our industries and new measures focused on reducing cost of living pressures.

ENERGY BILL RELIEF JULY 2024

All households will have a $300 credit applied to their electricity bills from July 1 2024.

This will be applied quarterly meaning each quarter, $75 will be credited to your account and automatically taken off your power bill.

TAX CUTS

JULY 2024

From July 2024, all taxpayers will receive an automatic saving and have slightly less tax deducted from their pay each pay period.

Week on week, you will have more money to spend and save than before.

This is different to previous tax cuts where workers received a lump sum payment as part of their tax return.

If you earn $45,000 a year, you will receive an extra $15.46 in takehome pay each week.

This equals $804 extra over the financial year.

STUDENT DEBT RELIEF JULY 2024

If you have a HECS-HELP debts, this will be reduced.

The Federal Government is changing how student debts are indexed each year and backdating this change to July 2023.

The indexation rate on your HECS debt will be lowered from 7.1% to 3.2% and a credit will be applied to your HECS debt to adjust for this difference and the total debt will be lowered.

Going forward, the indexation rate will be calculated off the lower of either the consumer price index (CPI) or the wage price index (WPI), preventing debts from growing faster than your wages.

SUPER ON PAID PARENTAL LEAVE

JULY 2025

From July 2025, superannuation will now be paid on periods of paid parental leave.

This is the result of a strong campaign by the SDA and the union movement to make superannuation fairer for all Australians.

It is a crucial part of closing the superannuation gap and addressing inequities for working women who take time out of the workforce to care for children.

This is on top of the Federal Government’s commitment to increase the amount of paid leave new parents can take under the Commonwealth scheme to 26 weeks by July 2026.

RENTAL ASSIST INCREASE

SEPTEMBER 2024

The payment to people receiving Commonweath Rental Assistance will be increase by 10% from September.

This means the payment will rise by roughly $19 for a single person receiving rent assistance before indexation, bring payments to over $200 a fortnight.

SAFE HANDLING

SAFE HANDLING & STORAGE OF LEAD

By Matt Littleboy, Workplace Health & Safety Officer

The SDA was recently contacted in relation to concerns about lead sheeting in a large chain of hardware stores especially in relation to how it is being handled by both customers and team members and how it is stored.

In June our SDA Health and Safety Officer served a WHS Entry Permit on some of the stores. The person in charge of the store at the time, was taken through the concerns around the storage and handling of lead in store and asked for the following:

• A copy of the Safety Data Sheet relating to lead products.

• Evidence of any specific training or Safe Work Practice’s in relation to the handling of lead

The SDA was given a copy of the Safety Data Sheet, and informed there is no specific training into the handling of lead, the potential dangers of exposure, or requirement to wear Personal Protective Equipment specific to lead process.

Based on the obtained Safety Data Sheet the SDA observed that lead products were being stored on shelves without an appropriate container and were not locked up. There are clear requirements around avoiding personal contact and wearing protective equipment when handling lead that were not being adhered to.

The consequences of exposure to lead be significant and permanent.

We expect that there is lead sheeting in a lot of hardware stores.

Your SDA has contacted the Health and Safety Regulator in regards to our concerns and we will provide members with an update and the resolution to this issue in the next SDA News.

Some examples of lead products being sold with no safety precautions.

SDA URGES GOVERNMENT TO GET TOUGH ON AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR

The SDA and other stakeholders have been urging state and territory governments across the country to implement tougher penalties for people who assault retail workers for some time.

In many states across Australia, deterrence is lacking. Aggressive behaviour in the form of assault has a severe impact on the health and wellbeing of frontline retail staff but, importantly, it’s also a criminal act and it must be treated as such.

Last year, the South Australian Government introduced a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment for people convicted of basic assault against a retail worker on the job and seven years when the assault causes harm.

The SDA Queensland Branch has continually campaigned against customer violence and for increased penalties for offenders. With customer abuse and violence on the rise, retail and fast food employees throughout the country continue to endure physical violence and assaults in their workplaces.

In June, new laws were introduced to Queensland parliament setting out enhanced protections for workers. Under this legislation, assaults in the workplace will be an aggravated sentencing factor for judges to consider when sentencing an offender.

This means workers who work in the retail and fast food industries, will be given extra protection from customers who physically assault them.

Retail workers should not be abused simply for doing their job and ensuring shoppers get the food they need and the other essentials of life.

In 2017, the SDA launched a major national campaign ‘No One Deserves a Serve’ to stop the abuse and violence towards retail and fast-food workers by customers. This followed research carried out by the SDA, involving 6,000 retail and fast-food workers which found that over 85% of them had experienced abuse from customers at work.

The SDA Queensland Branch congratulates the Miles Government on its proposed amendments to Section 9 of the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992.

The Miles Government’s proposed amendments to section 9 will increase the consequences for those customers who physically assault our members and importantly, act as a deterrent from those assaults occurring in the first place.

Justin Power - SDA State Secretary

SDA SCHOLARSHIPS

FOR YOURSELF, CHILDREN & GRANDCHILDREN

MEMBER DETAILS

MEMBERSHIP #:

NAME:

ADDRESS:

EMAIL:

MOBILE PH:

EMPLOYER:

LOCATION:

$100

SDA Members have the opportunity to win one of three $100 gift cards. To enter, fill in the form below and post to: The Secretary, PO Box 490, Spring Hill QLD

IN 2024

STUDENTS